EAST LANSING—Merit Network Inc., the Ann Arbor-based nonprofit connectivity provider, and Michigan State University have announced the completion of a multi-million-dollar project funded by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Broadband Infrastructure program that has connected thousands of miles across Michigan’s many disparate Internet pathways across 74 counties.
The program, named the Michigan Open Optical Network – Leveraging Innovation to Get High-Speed Technology (MOON-Light), addressed critical infrastructure gaps by enabling technologically advanced, middle-mile fiber optic infrastructure across the state. It connected local Internet service providers, bringing affordable, robust, high-speed broadband Internet to homes and businesses in Michigan’s underserved/unserved population areas.
“The MOON-Light initiative is a wonderful example of a transformational project that brings Internet access across Michigan communities. It is a foundational asset and a true force-multiplier for upcoming ISP last-mile projects,” said Roger Blake, CEO of Merit Network. “We are privileged to partner with Michigan State University and the MSU Quello Center and last-mile network operator partners on this initiative that is one of the first-of-its-kind in the nation and now connects over 28,000 new homes.”
“With nonprofit and cooperative organizations working together with commercial ISPs, we are uniquely positioned to reduce costs and accelerate broadband projects for Michigan in model public-private partnerships,” said Charlotte Bewersdorff, vice president for community engagement at Merit Network. “We are incredibly thankful for the continued trust that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration has placed in our vision.”
“Closing the digital divide is essential to the future success of our state and our young people,” said MSU President Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D. “When we partner together to solve our state’s most pressing challenges, we create a place that is full of opportunity—for all people and businesses. This partnership is a prime example of MSU’s proud role as a land grant university.”
This project received funding from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Broadband Infrastructure Program, one of the earliest of the recent infrastructure programs. BIP was a precursor to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which was signed into law by President Biden on Nov. 15, 2021. Merit’s teams were proud to be one of the last awarded in the country and the first completed in the nation within this funding program.
“The MOON-Light initiative enables equal and open access to broadband services for all Michiganders to deliver education, healthcare, and employment services,” said Ben Fineman, NTIA federal program officer for Michigan. “NTIA is glad to support this project, which now serves as a model for other states to follow.”
“This project is a major step towards eliminating disparities in academic achievement associated with inequalities in broadband access. All Michiganders will now have more opportunity to fully participate in the education system, engage with their communities, and to pursue new paths to economic opportunity,” said Keith Hampton, interim director of the Quello Center and Professor in the Department of Media and Information at Michigan State University, a collaborator in the proposal.
When the project began in 2022, entire regions across Michigan lacked high-performance fiber optical connections to the Internet through mainline attachments (“middle-mile” infrastructure), and many residents remained unserved, with approximately 380,000 lacking any connectivity to their homes and businesses (“last mile” infrastructure).
Unlike closed (private) infrastructure that offer services from a single service provider to residents, the MOON-Light network provides regional connectivity through an open-access network approach. Open-access networks (OANs) are high-performance networks that are open to multiple providers that leverage the infrastructure to offer high-capacity broadband services to residents and businesses.
ABOUT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 165 years. One of the world’s leading public research universities, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery to make a better, safer, healthier world for all while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 400 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges. For more information: https://msu.edu
ABOUT THE QUELLO CENTER
The Quello Center conducts research and outreach to inform public debate on media, communication and information policy. It brings together researchers and practitioners to advance broadband access and the digital economy in Michigan and the nation. Major research thrusts focus on digital inclusion, the interaction between technology and society, digital transformation and development, and platform policy. For more information: https://quello.msu.edu
ABOUT MERIT NETWORK
Merit Network, Inc. is an independent nonprofit corporation governed by Michigan’s public universities. Merit owns and operates America’s longest-running regional research and education network. In 1966, Michigan’s public universities created Merit to connect their mainframe computers, then a novel achievement. Since its formation, Merit Network has remained at the forefront of research and education networking expertise and services. Merit provides high-performance networking and IT solutions to Michigan’s public universities, colleges, K-12 organizations, libraries, state government, healthcare, and other non-profit organizations. For more information: www.merit.edu.
