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DCS briefs task force on BEAD status; county list of ISP locations shows nearly 2,000 locations
Summary
DCS Technology Design reported MIHI is finalizing agreements with NTIA for BEAD funds and that awardees for Berrien County have been notified; DCS provided a county ISP-location tally totaling 1,926 locations across named providers.
Chris Scharrer, president of DCS Technology Design, updated the task force on the state-level BEAD process and local implications. He said the Michigan High-Speed Internet Office (MIHI) is finalizing an agreement with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to deploy federal funds to unserved and underserved locations, and that awardees for Berrien County have been notified though MIHI had not yet released a comprehensive county map.
DCS provided an ISP-location snapshot listing providers and counts in Berrien County: Amazon Kuiper (100), Comcast/Xfinity (1,230), Michigan Bell (AT&T) (44), MEC (369), Starlink (181), Surf (2) — for a total of 1,926 locations. Scharrer noted that MIHI and NTIA announcements continue to evolve; after the meeting NTIA announced approval of 50 proposals on Feb. 9, 2026. The task force discussed how those awards will intersect with MEC’s ongoing county construction.
