The next phase of a Midwest Energy & Communications project to expand high-speed internet availability around Southwest Michigan is now underway.
MEC says construction has begun to lay more than 300 miles of new fiber in rural areas near Benton Harbor, Coloma, Covert, Hartford, and Schoolcraft. The project will bring a new high-speed option to 3,000 homes and businesses that currently lack access to reliable broadband internet under the FCC definition.
MEC received state grants and support from counties and townships throughout Southwest Michigan as it sought to get the project started. It says the work will help bridge the digital divide that has been holding residents of rural areas back as they have trouble working remotely, helping their kids with homework, and simply taking advantage of entertainment options that broadband opens up.
So far, MEC says its ongoing broadband project has reached more than 7,600 rural addresses in nine southern Michigan counties including Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren.
The company will announce new construction areas for the second half of 2026 in July.
