Air Advantage, LLC received a $64.2 million award, matched by $10.2 million in private contribution, will allow Air Advantage, LLC to offer broadband service to last-mile consumers in 13 counties which make up an area known as the Great Lakes Bay Region and Thumb Area. The project will use a hybrid system of fiber and wireless technologies to offer broadband service speeds in excess of 3 Mbps. Approximately 698,000 people stand to benefit, as do roughly 21,000 businesses and 4,000 community institutions. In addition to the 142 jobs the company estimates this project will create upfront, it will provide a foundation for economic growth and job creation for decades to come.

Also on Monday, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today announced $482 Million in National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) broadband stimulus grants, including an award to the following Michigan project for sustainable broadband adoption:

Eastern UP Intermediate School District was awarded a $3.2 million grant, with an additional $1.3 million in matching contributions, will allow the Eastern Upper Peninsula Intermediate School District to spur broadband adoption among economically disadvantaged students in Michigan's Eastern Upper Peninsula by providing 3,500 computers and supporting software to economically disadvantaged students.

The complete list of RUS awards can be viewed at http://tiny.cc/mi1bk and the NTIA awards at http://www.stimulatingbroadband.com/.