ALPENA Black River resident Dan Gauthier can’t wait for the day when he can stream videos, movies, and music, or even get a simple website to load in a
News Staff Writers
News Photo by Crystal Nelson
Erik Johnson, owner of Svede’s, talks about his business startup as he heats a branding iron with a blowtorch in his garage earlier this month.
ALPENA More and more businesses in Northeast Michigan rely on the internet, but a lack of internet availability makes it hard for owners to start up or thrive in rural areas, entrepreneurs and economic development officials said.
Northeast Michigan is “greatly underserved” when it comes to internet services, said Art Ross, owner of the Rogers City-based Design Team Media. Federal data shows nearly a third of the region’s residents lack access to internet speeds sufficient for modern life.