The additional funding will allow broadband mapping efforts under the SBDD program to continue for three additional years. The program also focuses on projects that relate to broadband planning activities, such as the identification of barriers to the adoption of broadband service and information technology services, the creation and facilitation of local technology planning teams , and the establishment of computer ownership and Internet access programs.

Connect Michigan will continue to engage in broadband data collection activities that will capture complete and up-to-date datasets from the state's broadband providers and will result in regularly-scheduled updates and further enhancements to the state's interactive broadband map. The Connect Michigan initiative released its first iteration of the map in May, 2010 at www.connectmi.org. The additional funding will allow the state to prioritize and track progress over a longer period of time. This data will also be used to populate the comprehensive, interactive, and searchable national broadband map that NTIA is required by the Recovery Act to create and make publicly available by February 17, 2011.

As the designated entity for broadband mapping in the state of Michigan, Connect Michigan is a public-private partnership between the Michigan Public Service Commission and Connected Nation to unite local governments, businesses, and citizens in the goal of increasing broadband service in the state's underserved areas. The MPSC is an agency within the Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth.