Overview of REACH-3MC Proposal
Merit Network, Inc. submitted REACH-3MC (Rural, Education, Anchor, Community and Heath care – Michigan Middle Mile Collaborative) for consideration under NTIA's Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) in August, 2009.Merit Network's REACH-3MC engages partners from the private sector to deliver 21st century, high-performance broadband to underserved regions of Michigan. This unique private sector partnership enables our proposal to serve homes, businesses, community anchor institutions and critical community facilities in those regions. Every sector of society stands to benefit from lower prices and better service.
The REACH-3MC private sector partnership is made up of entities that provide last mile service as well as entities that provide middle mile service. That means our proposal will bring competition to our service area where affordable, high-performance broadband has been lacking for so long. This will keep the cost of service low, while significantly improving the quality of service available.
Our proposal will not harm or disadvantage any incumbent ISP in our service area. It will substantially reduce backhaul costs. In the remote and rural areas we seek to serve, up to 80% of delivering broadband service to the community can be the cost of obtaining backhaul. With the REACH-3MC absorbing a large portion of that cost, existing providers will be able to invest more in their service and their local communities.
Merit Network offers interconnection wherever it is technically feasible at reasonable rates and terms. We encourage open settlement-free peering with providers and operators. We currently peer with over 20 network providers. For more information, see Merit's "Network Openness Policy".
REACH-3MC is a middle mile project that will add 960 miles of 72-strand fiber to Merit's existing 1600+ mile backbone network. Merit and partners will each own stands in a shared infrastructure.
Merit's portion of the fiber will allow State and local governments, schools, libraries, healthcare facilities and other anchor institutions to connect to Merit's private, high-performance network, which will enable them to lower costs, consolidate services and provide more to Michigan's citizens.
Our proposal will initially connect 38 community anchor institutions with Merit's Membership over Michigan's research and education network. The fiber build is oriented to offer the same advanced network resources to an additional 379 anchors.
REACH-3MC traverses 32 counties: 12 of which are completely underserved, 14 have significant underserved areas according to NTIA standards. In addition, there are 9 adjacent underserved counties that will see increased access and lower costs should this project become reality.
REACH-3MC is a component of a larger plan to address underserved areas across the entire state. In the Upper Peninsula, Peninsula Fiber Network (PFN) has submitted an application in which Merit will be a partner. Along the northeast shore of the Lower Peninsula, Allband Communications Cooperative (a Merit Member) has submitted an application and Merit will be a partner there, too. Each of these projects, including the REACH-3MC, complement each other to address the broadband shortfalls of rural Michigan.
With the realization of the REACH-3MC and partner proposals, Merit Network will be able to provide high-capacity connectivity to anchor institutions throughout the entire state of Michigan at competitive rates. Currently, Merit Network has the ability to connect anchors across Michigan, though the cost of backhaul into rural and remote regions renders this impractical.
REACH-3MC will also serve Michigan in its creation of a comprehensive footprint that "second-mile" fiber-builds (building fiber from a nearby network to institutions, homes and businesses) can leverage in future broadband investment, reducing cost and increasing efficiency.
Merit and partners' REACH-3MC is one of three middle mile proposals in Michigan to receive priority from the Office of the Governor and the Michigan Department of Technology (MDIT).
If you have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to contact Member Relations at .
For media or press inquiries regarding Merit Network's stimulus initiatives, please contact our President, Donald Welch .
Return to main REACH-3MC Proposal web page.
