Bringing High-Speed Internet to More of Michigan
Merit Network and Michigan State University have completed a major statewide broadband build with one clear aim: connect communities and widen access to fast, reliable internet. Backed by a federal initiative, the effort created the Michigan Open Optical Network – Leveraging Innovation to Get High-Speed Technology, better known as MOON-Light.
Transforming Connectivity, County by County
The program tackles a plain reality: many Michigan counties have long needed stronger internet infrastructure. By deploying an extensive set of middle?mile fiber connections—the backbone that local providers tap to serve homes and businesses—MOON-Light gives internet service providers the support they need to extend affordable, dependable broadband to places that have gone without.
A Foundation Built to Last
Roger Blake, CEO of Merit Network, describes MOON-Light as a foundational asset—one that sets the stage for more progress in how Michigan connects. Today, the network reaches more than 28,000 new homes, opening doors to online learning, telehealth, and everyday digital services that residents use and rely on.
When Partners Pull in the Same Direction
Charlotte Bewersdorff, Merit Network’s Vice President for Community Engagement, underscores the value of cooperation. Nonprofits, cooperatives, and commercial ISPs teamed up to lower costs and speed up delivery. The result is a public?private partnership that shows what can happen when different organizations pursue the same goal: better service for more people.
Why Closing the Digital Divide Matters
MSU President Kevin M. Guskiewicz puts it plainly: closing the digital divide is essential to Michigan’s future, especially for young people. Filling infrastructure gaps and bringing high?speed access to more communities expands opportunities to learn, participate, and build the state’s economy—online and off.
Built with Federal Support
The project’s primary funding came through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Broadband Infrastructure Program, a forerunner to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The speed and scale of MOON-Light’s rollout reflect Merit Network’s commitment—and its capacity—to deliver tangible improvements across Michigan’s digital landscape.
Designed for Equitable Access
According to Ben Fineman, a Federal Program Officer with NTIA, MOON-Light helps ensure Michiganders can get fair access to broadband. The network is intended to strengthen services that depend on connectivity—education, healthcare, and employment—so more residents can take part in a modern, increasingly digital economy.
Closing the Gap for Residents Statewide
The timing matters. Many areas of Michigan have struggled with inadequate service, and roughly 380,000 residents still lacked reliable high?speed internet. By using an open?access model—where multiple providers can use the same infrastructure—MOON-Light encourages competition and choice, giving households and organizations more options to find the service that fits.
About Michigan State University
Michigan State University serves the public good through a diverse academic community, impactful research, and hands?on engagement. With more than 400 programs across 17 colleges, MSU plays a central role in advancing education and technology in Michigan, preparing students and partners to meet the needs of a connected world.
About the Quello Center
The Quello Center at Michigan State University examines media and technology policy with a focus on broadband access and digital inclusion. Its work explores how technology and society intersect—and how policy can help widen participation in the digital sphere.
About Merit Network
Merit Network, an independent nonprofit founded in 1966, has long supported Michigan’s public universities. Today, it provides high?performance networking and IT solutions for educational institutions and nonprofits across the state, helping them connect, collaborate, and serve their communities.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is MOON-Light?
MOON-Light—the Michigan Open Optical Network – Leveraging Innovation to Get High-Speed Technology—is a statewide broadband infrastructure initiative that expands high?speed internet through an open?access fiber network. It strengthens the backbone that local internet providers use to serve homes, schools, libraries, and businesses.
How will MOON-Light change day?to?day life in Michigan communities?
By extending reliable high?speed service to more places, including over 28,000 new homes, MOON-Light supports online learning, telehealth visits, remote work, and access to essential services. For underserved areas, that can mean more choice, better performance, and pricing shaped by real competition.
Who paid for the project?
The project received primary funding from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Broadband Infrastructure Program, which preceded the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
What role does Michigan State University play?
Michigan State University partnered with Merit Network to help plan and deliver the initiative, with a shared focus on closing infrastructure gaps and widening access to high?speed internet across the state.
What impact is expected over time?
By building out middle?mile, open?access fiber and enabling multiple providers to compete, MOON-Light is positioned to narrow—and in many places, help eliminate—long?standing disparities in internet access. That progress supports education, healthcare, and jobs, strengthening participation in Michigan’s economy.
