Bringing the Digital Age to the Upper Peninsula
A persistent challenge persists in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (U.P.): closing the digital divide. Expanding internet access to communities spread across the sparsely populated region remains a top priority for both government administrations and internet service providers.
“Very rarely does anything happen first in the Upper Peninsula,” said Bruce Moore, Midwest General Manager of Highline Fast Internet. “But we’re very proud of the fact that thousands of homes in the Upper Peninsula are going to have access to fiber optic internet access way before many of the homes downstate or in other parts of the country.”
Highline launched its “Project Moonlight” in 2021, targeting the most rural Ithinks in an effort to bring high-speed internet connectivity to those who lack it.
“It’s a necessity, right?” Moore said. “I mean, it’s the same as electric and water, it’s a mandatory, necessary utility that people need.”
Connected Nation, a nonprofit dedicated to expanding broadband access nationwide, has been actively mapping internet service availability across Michigan, highlighting areas that still lack reliable connections.
“We’ve been involved with mapping operations over the past several years in trying to understand exactly, first of all, where the internet service currently exists and, most importantly, where it does not,” said Dan Manning, Michigan’s Broadband Solutions Advisor at Connected Nation.
While progress has been made, “Connected Nation maps still show just how much more work remains,” Manning said. While standards for reliable internet speed are constantly evolving, the benchmark currently stands at 100 megabytes per second for download speed and 20 megabytes per second for upload.
Based on these benchmarks, Connected Nation found in October 2022 that less than 50% of households had reliable internet service in regions of the U.P.
“The good news is over the next couple of years here we’re going to see a lot more activity as a result of the infrastructure law that was passed and $42 billion that had been set aside across the country for broadband expansion,” Manning said. “The state got about a billion and a half of that.
Even the U.P.’s most wired areas lag behind the projected national average by 2024, with less than 90% of residents having access to reliable internet in counties like Delta, Dickinson and Marquette.
To stay ahead of the curve, providers are turning to Fiber Optic Cables.
“It’s pulses of light funneled down glass within a cable buried in the ground or hanging across utility poles and think about it — we’re pointing lasers and talking in binary.
So the capacity on these networks or networks like ours is tremendous. We’re talking terabytes per second flowing across our fiber network,” said Cory Hiegel, General Manager for Peninsula Fiber Network.
Peninsula Fiber Network (PFN), headquartered in Marquette, is transforming internet access in the U.P.
The PFN network works on a larger scale, resembling the power grid. Think of us
“We were dealing with the power grid as distribution lines that bring power to every individual home and business and then you’ve got the transmission lines that connect many cities together. ”
“We’re kind of that part of the internet.
If you look at our map here, these big thick lines — we’re traversing along major highway corridors connecting bigger communities,” Hiegel said.
PFN aims to connect upper Michigan
through fiber optic cables running underneath the Great Lakes,
What are the potential economic benefits of closing the digital divide in the Upper Peninsula?
## Bringing the Digital Age to the Upper Peninsula
**Host:** Welcome back to the show. Today, we’re discussing a vital issue impacting communities across Michigan: the digital divide. Joining me is Dan Manning, Michigan’s Broadband Solutions Advisor at Connected Nation, a non-profit dedicated to expanding broadband access nationwide. Dan, thanks for being here.
**Dan Manning:** Thanks for having me.
**Host:** We’ve reported extensively on the challenges of extending internet access to rural communities, particularly in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Connected Nation has been mapping internet availability across the state. Can you tell us what your findings reveal about the U.P.?
**Dan Manning:** Absolutely. Our maps show that while progress is being made, significant portions of the Upper Peninsula still lack reliable, high-speed internet access. [ [Background information: [[3](https://www.peters.senate.gov/newsroom/in-the-news/up-broadband-expansion-receives-federal-funding)]]I spoke with an internet service provider, Highline Fast Internet, who mentioned their “Project Moonlight” initiative to bring fiber optic internet to rural areas of the UP. What are your thoughts on these types of initiatives?
**Dan Manning:** We applaud companies like Highline and their commitment to bridging the digital divide. Projects like “Project Moonlight” are essential for connecting underserved communities and ensuring they have access to the opportunities and resources available online.
**Host:** According to the Federal Communications Commission, the benchmark for reliable internet speed is currently 100 megabytes per second for download and 20 megabytes per second for upload. How does the U.P. measure up against this standard?
**Dan Manning:** Unfortunately, some areas of the U.P. fall short of these benchmarks. This means residents in those areas may struggle with slow speeds, unreliable connections, and limited access to online services.
**Host:** What are the real-world consequences of this digital divide for people living in the U.P.?
**Dan Manning:** The consequences are significant and multifaceted. Lack of access to reliable internet can limit educational opportunities for students, restrict telehealth access for seniors, hinder economic development, and isolate individuals from the broader online world.
**Host:** What needs to be done to ensure that everyone in the Upper Peninsula has access to affordable, high-speed internet?
**Dan Manning:** A multi-pronged approach is crucial. This includes continued investment in broadband infrastructure, incentivizing private sector partnerships, supportive government policies, and community-driven initiatives.
**Host:** Dan, thank you for shedding light on this critical issue. We hope your insights will inspire continued efforts to close the digital divide in the Upper Peninsula.
**Dan Manning:** Thank you for having me.
