NMU President Fritz Erickson attended the recent U.S. Senate Democratic Rural Summit in Washington, D.C. He was invited by Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow because of Northern’s effort to address rural broadband issues through expansion of its Educational Access Network.
“I invited President Erickson to the Senate Rural Summit to share how NMU is leading the way in Michigan to improve the quality of life for people in small towns and rural communities," Stabenow said. "I’m honored to support NMU’s innovative work to expand high-speed internet to students in the U.P. and northern Michigan.”
Speakers addressed the need for reliable, affordable high-speed internet to enhance economic activity, education and health care in rural areas. The Sept. 27 summit included remarks by Senate Democratic leadership, panel discussions on economic development and health care, a keynote address by Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and a conversation with Sarah Smarsh, author of Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth.