On December 21, 2010, Merit Network broke ground on 2,287 miles of open-access, advanced fiber-optic network through rural and underserved communities in Michigan's Lower and Upper Peninsulas. Undeterred by snow, representatives from the offices of U.S. Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow, Connect Manistee, the Manistee Intermediate School District, and the Manistee Alliance for Economic Success joined Merit Network staff in a ceremony commemorating the first phase of construction. The event was held at the Manistee Intermediate School District headquarters, the first community anchor institution connected by the REACH-3MC project.

The $130 million REACH-3MC project, $103 million of which is funded by BTOP, intends to connect 105 community anchor institutions and spur deployment of affordable broadband to households and businesses that lack adequate service options in 52 counties. Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm cited the benefits of the project saying, “The Merit Network project funded by the Recovery Act will give schools, local governments, libraries, healthcare providers and other important anchor institutions in Michigan access to high-quality, high-speed Internet service and provide expanded opportunities for economic development throughout the state."

Over the course of the project, Merit Network will also use BTOP funds to create new jobs. Currently, Merit has hired six new employees to assist with the construction and is holding community meetings and quarterly webcasts to update local citizens on the project’s progress. To see local news coverage, please visit here.

Last Updated: October 17, 2011

Digital illiteracy is a barrier to community participation and family progress for many adults across the country. The Mexican Institute of Greater Houston (MIGH) addresses this digital divide and also focuses on populations with an added barrier: English is their second language. MIGH’s goal is to engage these populations, as well as improve broadband adoption rates in the Greater Houston, Beaumont, Dallas, and San Antonio areas through broadband outreach and training for Hispanic and minority communities. The project is utilizing its network of over 100 existing community centers, many located at K-12 public schools in the region, to conduct basic computer technology training sessions in Spanish for students and their families, as well as expanding the network to accommodate the program’s growth and development.

MIGH programs enrich the lives of Hispanic adults through education. Classes at Keeble Early Childhood/Pre-K Center began in February 2011. Students at the center are primarily young moms who want to learn how to use computers. The skills learned in the class help the mothers participate more actively in their children’s education and develop their own lives. Any MIGH student can also go to the Mendenhall computer laboratory for courses in basic computer skills, such as how to use word processing software, navigate the Internet, and open an e-mail account. Additionally, MIGH’s computer center open labs allow visitors to gain additional computer practice and knowledge.

Since September 2010, MIGH has hired three new staff members, three new instructors, and six new tutors as a result of BTOP. Instructors and tutors typically are selected from MIGH program graduates and receive additional instruction through program instructor/tutor classes. These individuals have the additional opportunity to apply their newly acquired skills to teaching others. One former student is a teacher by trade but her disability made it difficult for her to find a job. She has enthusiastically enrolled to receive training to become a MIGH on-line tutor. These are just a few of the many success stories from MIGH’s training classes, where students are gaining marketable workforce skills.

Last Updated: October 17, 2011.

In March 2011, the Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative (MBC) began construction on 422 miles of new fiber-optic infrastructure. MBC’s project, Middle Mile Expansion for Southern Virginia, is expanding an existing 800-mile network to connect approximately 120 K-12 schools, many in isolated areas.

MBC’s Southern Virginia project, encompassing 16 counties, is proceeding rapidly. At the end of August 2011, the project was already halfway done, with 212 miles of new fiber laid, along with two of four interconnection points completed. Additionally, in August, the school districts of Franklin County and Cumberland County opened their doors to K-12 students with classrooms equipped, for the first time, with high-speed Internet access. This new network is helping these schools enhance their educational curriculums to better meet the needs of today’s students. Cumberland County schools, for example, have gone from 45 Mbps to 100 Mbps, which allows video streaming without buffering, enhances online collaboration, and lays the foundation for virtual classrooms.

BTOP funds have allowed MBC to engage five contracting firms, which have hired 98 workers for construction crews. In addition, MBC has hired six people for various headquarters positions.

Last Updated: February 1, 2012

The Mitchell County Historic Courthouse Foundation celebrated the dedication of the new county courthouse and its BTOP-funded public computer center (PCC) on May 2, 2010. More than 150 people, including two state legislators and a representative from the North Carolina governor’s office, viewed multi-media presentations using equipment from the PCC’s distance learning videoconferencing center. The PCC is one part of an overall effort to restore the original Mitchell County Courthouse in Bakersville, N.C. The other purpose of the Foundation is to improve the economic and quality of life conditions for the people of Mitchell County by converting the Historic Courthouse into a fully functional center for educational, cultural, and economic activity. The availability of computers will contribute to developing the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and attributes of a productive workforce.

Last Updated: October 17, 2011