Peninsula Fiber Network (PFN) and 123NET have begun construction on the $87 million IMPACC Project to expand middle-mile broadband infrastructure across Michigan. The project received $61.2 million from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Grant in 2023, supplemented by $26 million in private investment.
The network will include three major routes: underwater fiber from Benton Harbor to Chicago with land-based connections to Byron Center; underwater and land-based fiber from Gulliver to Beaver Island to Charlevoix and Gaylord; and 111 miles of on-land fiber from Port Huron to Flint. Construction began in June on the Port Huron–Flint route, with completion expected in 18 months. Routes 1 and 2 will follow after environmental reviews, engineering, and permitting, with the full project scheduled for completion by 2028.
PFN and 123NET will operate the open-access network, allowing other internet service providers to connect. The project will add a new fiber link between Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas, provide Beaver Island with its first wired broadband connection, and create redundancy in the state’s broadband system to improve service reliability.