This story is adapted from an article originally published by Technology at MSU.
Two ComArtSci professors are helping to bridge the digital divide for more than 28,000 Michigan households.
Johannes M. Bauer, professor of Media and Information and Keith Hampton, interim director of the Quello Center, worked with MSU IT and Merit Network to complete Project MOON-Light, a multimillion dollar initiative to expand broadband infrastructure across the state of Michigan.
The project, which is funded by a grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), included the installation of thousands of miles of middle-mile fiber in 74 counties.
“Project MOON-Light is a massive upgrade to the internet infrastructure of the State of Michigan,” said Bauer. “It will enable local internet service providers to provide better, more reliable, and cheaper service to unserved and underserved households and businesses. It will have ripple effects economically and socially for years to come.”
The MOON-Light network offers regional broadband connectivity through an open-access network available to multiple providers. This differs from private, or closed, infrastructure systems that offer services through a single provider.
Merit Network CEO Roger Blake called it “a transformational project.”
“The MOON-Light initiative is a foundational asset and a true force-multiplier for upcoming ISP last-mile projects,” Blake said. “We are privileged to partner with Michigan State University and the MSU Quello Center and last-mile network operator partners on this initiative that is one of the first-of-its-kind in the nation and now connects over 28,000 previously unserved households.”
Quello Center Interim Director Keith Hampton says the project will help eliminate disparities in academic achievement associated with inequalities in broadband access.
“All Michiganders will now have more opportunity to fully participate in the education system, engage with their communities, and to pursue new paths to economic opportunity,” Hampton said.
“Closing the digital divide is essential to the future success of our state and our young people,” MSU President Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D. said. “When we partner together to solve our state’s most pressing challenges, we create a place that is full of opportunity – for all people and businesses. This partnership is a prime example of MSU’s proud role as a land grant university.”
For more information about MOON-Light and to watch a recording of the event visit merit.edu/initiatives/moon-light/.