News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Residents in Alcona County could have access to high-speed internet in a few years, as Alpena County and PIE&G have begun to explore a working relationship that could lead to an expanded fiber network in the county.

ALCONA — Alcona County and Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-op have taken the first step that could lead to more people in the county gaining access to high speed internet.

There are still a lot of unknowns and hurdles to clear, but if things go smoothly, it will still be several years until the project is completed and internet is available to those in rural areas.

In a press release on Tuesday, the parties announced they have entered into a non-binding, letter of intent to explore a working relationship aimed at providing high-speed fiber-to-the-home internet services.

The letter of understanding outlines Alcona County’s commitment to its citizens by offering to fund PIE&G up to $1 million for the design and construction of a fiber internet network in the county.

“The letter of understanding is the first step in the process of providing Alcona County residents with high-speed fiber internet services from PIE&G’s fiber division,” the press release said. “The LOI is a nonbinding document intended to summarize the basic principles of a potential, mutual agreement to provide world class, internet services in Alcona County.”

Doug Cheek, the chairman of the Alcona Economic Corps., has worked with local government officials and potential partners to help devise a plan to improve high-speed internet access to those without it in the county.

He said the partnership between Alpena County, PIE&G, and Consumers Energy holds a lot of potential and could solve a lot of problems. However, he said the process moving forward is sure to be a slow one and one with a lot of variables to overcome.

“This is a transformative project and transformative projects don’t get done overnight,” Cheek said. “Patience will be required, as we have a lot of planning and work to do, but it is very exciting.”

In 2020, PIE&G’s board of directors approved the formation of the Fiber to the Home division of the cooperative and began construction of its fiber network.

PIE&G’s fiber division, PIE&G Connect, has constructed approximately 500 miles of fiber, and connected approximately 350 accounts so far. The project is expected to last at least 4 years and consist of over 3,200 miles of fiber construction once completed.

In addition to Alcona County, PIE&G Connect is working with Consumers Energy to secure space on their electric grid to provide fiber services to Consumers Energy customers in Cheboygan, Presque Isle, and Alcona Counties.

The rollout of PIE&G fiber network expansion is funded through an $11 million grant received in 2021 from the Rural Digital Opportunities Fund and PIE&G’s expansion will deliver service by leveraging and connecting to Merit Network’s existing high performance middle-mile fiber optic infrastructure.

The network, once completed, could provide access to internet and voice services to 30,000-plus homes and businesses across its Northeast Michigan, including Alpena, Cheboygan, Montmorency, Presque Isle and portions of Alcona, Emmet, Mackinac, Oscoda, and Otsego counties.

The fiber system will be installed over PIE&G’s existing electric distribution infrastructure and will deliver reliable, high-speed Internet access directly to homes and businesses. The project to expand services is well on its way and is estimated to be completed in 2026.

PIE&G provides energy services to about 31,800 members across nine counties in the area. With its headquarters in Onaway, PIE&G is one of the largest employers in Presque Isle County, with 102 full-time and several temporary employees servicing approximately 34,550 electric meters and 13,700 natural gas meters. The coop maintains 4,909 miles of electric lines and 886 miles of gas pipeline.

The PIE&G Communities First Fund has provided over $2 million in local grants and scholarships since 1998. The cooperative was founded in 1937 on the premise of providing outstanding essential services to unserved rural areas, a premise it continues to uphold and strives to improve upon today.

Steve Schulwitz can be reached at 989-358-5689 at sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ss_alpenanews.com.