Our World is changing
Broadband access
has become essential
It must be inclusive
It must be affordable
We Understand
It's what we do*
*and have been doing for over 40 years
...In my nine years of serving as Leelanau County Commissioner, I believe that our board’s decision to contract with DCS Technology Design to manage our current broadband project has been the single best contract decision of my tenure...
Ty Wessell, Leelanau County Commissioner, District 4, Past Chairman
The Maps
The key to assuring all homes and businesses throughout an area have access to Broadband services is having precise and trusted data about where high-speed Broadband Internet exists, and more importantly, where it doesn't. With accurate data, you can make informed business decisions when planning on how you get Broadband to all of your Rural Areas. DCS Technology Design has developed the most precise mapping system in the industry, helping to take the mystery out of the process, and maximizing the available funding to assure inclusiveness across your entire community.
Getting them right
There has been a tremendous effort by different entities, including the FCC, NTIA, USDA, various states, and the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to improve their reporting systems for where Broadband Internet Service exists, and where it is not available. Rather than blindly create more confusing and redundant mapping information, we begin with all publicly available mapping resources and assess the viability of each data set. This requires extensive field validation with our seasoned OSP engineers. We will then challenge all mis-reported data and make sure it is in conformance with the new FCC Broadband Fabric reporting requirements, which is planned to be the basis for all future grant programs.
Getting the Funding
Once a clear and accurate database has been developed, a funding strategy can be developed. There are several options for a county or municipalities to engage with ISPs and support a grant application process with the state or federal agencies. There may be a competitive process required through an RFI or RFP process to identify qualified ISP’s and develop a public-private partnership for the grant applications. Community support and endorsements may also be necessary, which will be part of the requirement development. Additional pre-engineering may be required to forecast construction costs depending on how the grants are structured.
Michigan is our home, we are proud to serve and assist so many of our communities
