123Net a fiber internet, colocation, and voice services provider in Southfield, today announced it will be a key participant in a new $87.5 million middle mile fiber infrastructure project that adds resiliency to Michigan’s network and connects under served areas.
The Infrastructure for Michigan’s Peninsula and Critical Crossings (IMPACC) project was submitted in September 2022 with PFN (Peninsula Fiber Networks) in Marquette as the lead recipient and 123Net as a sub recipient.
“One of the many unique things about this project is the partnership between PFN and 123Net. Each will be responsible for owning and operating part of the network, which will double the impact of the project for the state,” says Dan Irvin, CEO of 123Net.
One key aspect of the project is the installation of two new fiber cables that will be constructed under Lake Michigan to connect 123Net’s Data Center in Grand Rapids to one of the nation’s premier connectivity hubs in Chicago.
“This will be the first carrier neutral fiber optic cable to be built across Lake Michigan. We expect it to dramatically increase access to, and lower the cost of, connectivity in the state. The route will enable diverse, low latency connections not just between Grand Rapids and Chicago, but also Detroit and Chicago. The best part of all is every small, underserved community along the way will have access to the same world class network,” says Irvin.
The extensive project also includes 535 miles of network passing though the following Michigan counties: Berrien, Van Buren, Allegan, Lapeer, Macomb, St. Clair, and Genesee. The following municipalities are also included: Benton Harbor, Benton Heights, Byron Center, Dorr Township, Grand Junction, Hartford, Hopkins, Imlay City, Lapeer, Lawrence, Lesterville, Memphis, and St. Joseph.
Most of the funding for the project comes from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) grant. The rest of the project cost, about 30 percent, is being split between PFN and 123Net.
“Internet connectivity is the backbone of Michigan’s economy, allowing businesses to thrive, connecting people to health care services and education providers, and helping people communicate locally and around the globe,” says Scott Randall, general manager of PFN.
123Net will use the new middle mile network to directly serve residents and communities with its new FTTH (fiber to the home) builds and public private partnerships. In addition, 123Net will open the network as a platform to enable other FTTH providers to extend into rural Michigan and help solve the digital divide.
“This project is another way that 123Net is creating opportunities for Michigan to be at the forefront of connectivity and make it the best connected on the planet.” says Irvin.
Details of the routes are provided below by Chuck Irvin, executive vice president of 123Net.
Route #1:
Route #1 includes Lake Michigan’s first carrier-neutral underwater fiber cable. It starts at global connectivity centers in Chicago, including the Equinix Data Center located at 350 E Cermak Rd. It will branch out into two distinct routes, coursing north and south of downtown, before transitioning across the coastline and below Lake Michigan.
The two cables, run in parallel but will be separated by more than a mile for redundancy. They will weave their path east partly buried beneath the lakebed and partly lying atop it. Once they complete their sub lake journey, one cable will surface in Benton Harbor, and the other in St. Joseph. Both cables will then make a terrestrial journey to west Michigan’s connectivity hub, the 123Net’s DC4 Data Center in Byron Center.
The routes not only alleviate congestion from the traditionally overcrowded corridor at Lake Michigan’s southern edge in Indiana, but also introduces the lowest latency path between Grand Rapids and Chicago.
The initiative extends beyond infrastructural improvements and reduced latency. One of its most crucial aspects lies in its potential to transform connectivity for tens of thousands of under served residents and businesses dispersed across numerous communities along the terrestrial route.
123Net will directly service some of these communities through collaborative efforts with public and private entities, but the enormity of Michigan’s connectivity challenge exceeds the reach of a single provider. As part of a larger solution, 123Net will unlock the cable’s usage to other carriers and Internet Service Providers (ISPs), bolstering their ability to service the connectivity needs of under served and unserved communities along the path.
Route #2:
The second segment of the middle-mile network links the town of Gulliver, near Manistique in the Upper Peninsula, to Beaver Island and Charlevoix, followed by Charlevoix to Gaylord. The route, which includes two underwater stretches, is set to significantly enhance connectivity within the state.
Today, a single ageing fiber line running through the Mackinac Bridge is the sole connection between Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas that doesn’t travel through Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana. The conduit housing the nearly two-decade-old fiber has been showing signs of wear, underscoring the necessity for an updated solution.
The project not only pioneers a new, robust fiber link between the peninsulas but also brings fiber connectivity to Beaver Island, which today relies on two wireless links for connections to the mainland.
In the northern sector of the Lower Peninsula, this newly created route will traverse communities housing tens of thousands of under served businesses and residents between Charlevoix and Gaylord. The project stands poised to transform the region’s connectivity landscape and bolster opportunities for those along its path.
Route #3:
The third segment of the network infrastructure project will connect Flint and Port Huron. The installation will seamlessly integrate with 123Net’s Bay City to Southfield Long Haul Project, which kicked off last year.
The path of the route will include numerous Michigan communities in Lapeer, Macomb, St. Clair, and Genesee counties, which have under served residents and businesses that stand to benefit from improved connectivity.
Once in Port Huron, the project will interconnect with existing and future fiber lines extending into Canada, destined to reach Toronto. However, it’s worth highlighting that the scope of this project concludes in Port Huron. While an international crossing was explored during the project’s initial stages, it was ultimately excluded from the final plan.
Collectively, the three fiber routes will integrate with 4,500 miles of existing and under-construction fiber route miles within Michigan, creating a comprehensive network designed to underpin forthcoming broadband expansions.
In addition, Michigan’s ROBIN (Realizing Opportunity with Broadband Infrastructure Networks) program has awarded 123Net and Allegan County (north of Kalamazoo) a $65-million project to construct an open access, carrier neutral fiber network. The county-wide broadband project will begin construction in mid-August.
“We are honored and excited to be chosen by the Michigan High Speed Internet Office to meet the needs for unserved and under served residents in Allegan County,” says Dan Irvin. “We look forward to partnering with additional communities throughout Michigan in a combined effort to make this state the best connected on the planet.”
The Allegan County Board of Commissioners and 123Net established a public-private partnership earlier this year and applied for the ROBIN grant together. Now that the project has been awarded, 123Net will construct an extensive 1,100 miles of high-capacity fiber and provide world-class connectivity to over 10,000 unserved and under served homes across the county.
“Allegan County is leading the way in Michigan to get everyone connected to the internet,” says Jill Dunham, broadband project manager for Allegan County. “We are grateful to be part of one of the top-rated proposals submitted and appreciate the outstanding partnership with 123Net.”
123Net will provide fiber internet with speeds of up to 10 gigabits per second, which is 100 times faster than the grant’s requirement. The project will establish Allegan County as the best-connected county in the state and one of the fastest in the nation. The new network will be open access and carrier neutral, enabling other network providers to utilize the fiber infrastructure to offer their services.
“The Board of Commissioners vision has been to bring broadband to 10,000 addresses without access to high-speed internet in Allegan County. Bringing our vision to reality has been a team effort and this funding is a key step to getting it done,” says Rob Sarro, Allegan County Administrator.
123Net is investing $17.5 million toward the project, with additional funding coming from the ROBIN Grant and Allegan County’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funds. Construction will be completed over the next two years.
Overall, the ROBIN program is anticipated to award $238 million to the builders of new networks targeted at under served addresses. In addition to the recent award for Allegan County, 123Net will be vying for other parts of the ROBIN grant, and if awarded a portion, the company will seek to bolster the efforts of other successful ROBIN recipients with the use of its extensive network.
Michigan is also poised to receive a projected $1.2-$1.4 billion from the $42.45 billion national funding pool earmarked to develop complete network connectivity available to homes and businesses across the state.
Echoing its aspirations for the ROBIN initiative, 123Net plans to submit an application for the BEAD program, hoping to contribute to the connectivity solution both by serving customers directly and by offering its middle-mile network to facilitate the efforts of others.
Counties, municipalities, ISPs, and carriers interested in connecting to the PFN (Peninsula Fiber Networks) and 123Net network can reach 123Net at 123.net.
