Prima Civitas Launches Ultra-High Speed Internet Effort

An East Lansing-based economic development agency is coordinating an effort to spread the use of ultra-high speed internet in the area. 

Prima Civitas Foundation officials say they are collaborating with local internet providers to eliminate barriers to ultra-fast one-gigabit per second service.

Jeff Smith is with the Lansing Economic Area Partnership--or 'LEAP.' He says obstacles to so-called "next generation" connections include a lack of awareness and the landscape.

"Things like micro-trenching are fairly new solutions to try to get across the street with fiber," he says. "And not a lot of communities even know it exists or what it means."

Smith says the initiative will create a 'best practices' informational manual for property owners and others.  Proponents say the faster service is a valuable economic development tool.