ANN ARBOR ? A press conference on Aug. 24 at the Michigan Information Technology Center will announce that Merit Network, Michigan State University, and Bloomingdale Communications have won more than $80 Million in Broadband and Computing Stimulus Grants for rural Michigan.

Merit Network will receive $69.6 million from ARRA to construct over 1,000 miles of fiber-optic infrastructure across 29 Michigan Counties in Northern Lower and Upper Peninsulas.

Michigan State University will receive $6 million from ARRA to create strategic public computing centers across Michigan.

Bloomingdale Communications will receive $5.6 million from ARRA to create a fiber ring in Van Buren County that will connect community anchor institutions.

Merit Network’s REACH-3MC II will serve as a complement to Merit’s previous

broadband stimulus award, REACH-3MC. Combined the REACH-3MC projects will

bring over $100 million in federal funding to the state of Michigan and leverage nearly $30 million more in private investment. REACH-3MC II features fiber paths across eight counties in Northern Wisconsin and one in Minnesota. The broadband infrastructure to be created will provide significant opportunities for economic development in Michigan and the Midwest.

Michigan State University’s Evidence Based Computing Centers II is a continuation

of their previous broadband stimulus award, Evidenced Based Computing Centers.

Together the two projects will strengthen the computing and training capacity of

anchor institutions throughout Michigan. The projects will establish computer centers and programming that will be coordinated with libraries, public housing centers, tribal community centers, community colleges, and other anchor institutions. Over 2,000 computers will be installed in 200 computer centers throughout the state.

Bloomingdale Communications’ Van Buren County Fiber Ring project will deploy a

high-speed fiber network that will connect community anchor institutions including

Van Buren Intermediate School District, Berrien County Regional Education Services, the City of South Haven and other government agencies across the county. Access to this infrastructure will allow for greater opportunities in healthcare, education, public safety and boost economic development.

Merit’s REACH-3MC projects will connect many of the MSU computing centers to

Merit’s leading-edge fiber-optic backbone. Bloomingdale Communications and Merit

will work together to maximize federal investment for Michigan. The REACH-3MC

infrastructure projects, MSU’s Computing Centers and the Van Buren County Fiber

Ring will help Michigan transition from a manufacturing-based economy to the new

information economy.

Merit will be streaming the event live in webcast format. Please register for the webcast at Merit.Edu/Webcast

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