Great Lakes Energy continues to study the deployment of high-speed fiber Internet service. A random survey of residential and seasonal members was completed Nov 2. The results of the statistically valid survey along with the results of engineering feasibility studies for deploying fiber will be presented to the GLE Board of Directors in November.
Should the service be justified from a business standpoint, it could initially become available to members as a pilot project in the Petoskey service district as early as 2019. The new program would then be monitored in action to better analyze whether it’s meeting our expectations. Expansion of the service into other GLE service areas would be the goal if the pilot project is implemented and found to be successful. However, it would take years to complete the expansion due to the large territory we cover.
More information will be available on this potential project as it becomes available.
Satellite internet is $60+ a month with no other options in my area. Add $80 for Direct TV because there are no other options. If fiber came here and could save me $ I’d dump both in a heartbeat.
Stuck with Verizon wi-fi internet here, which is data capped and expensive — especially with the nearly every month overage fees. The area I’m in (North of Reed City, toward Ashton) is too heavily wooded for satellite – – no southern exposure. My livelihood depends on internet access and 2kbs dial-up won’t cut it. I own, not rent, so moving isn’t an option.
have you tried Casair Wireless they show your area for coverage
Yeah. Their coverage ends just over a hill from me… They said they MIGHT be expanding and to check back around Nov. 30th (I called them this summer). They said the exact same thing last year and didn’t expand to where I am then, so… no idea if this year might be different. I think I’m in a tiny pocket, within their coverage that isn’t covered.
I was using verizon home fusion “cantenna” and we always went over the 30GB cap with overage and had to limit usage. (like $200/mo). I switched to their single line unlimited plan with a device that supports 3G “Lte home phone and internet in black” (home fusion is 4G or 1G, does not have 3G). The speed drops to 3G (<600KBit/s)after 22GB but is still quite usable even for online games, and even skype. Used over 75GB so far this month and its only $85/month including the internet and home phone. Just a thought for those in rural areas, not… Read more »
Thanks for your interest. Stay tuned for further news from us on this proposed project.
Is that for phone internet? I have to use a PC for my work. My Verizon mifi data-cap is only 8 GB at about $10 per GB… and I sometimes use twice that… even while doing my best to avoid things like video and auto-updates (I have to take my computer into a shop twice per year to install service packs).
We live north of Free Soil and all that is available is satellite. Between tv and internet our cost runs $200 a month. We can’t use a streaming service because of our unreliable inertnet service.
I live in Lilley township. Bought my cabin last fall and was very disappointed to find out there is no land line internet service in my area. I am a business owner dependent on internet service from Verizon wireless. The part I don’t understand is that there is a coaxial cable that feeds my property and is even routed directly into a utility box mounted next to my electrical service. It is clearly labeled “charter communications”. I inquired with them about service and was told they do not service my area. I don’t know what to do. I’d be all… Read more »
We live just west of Hawkins. Currently we have satellite internet with a data limit. If GLE internet came through here I’d drop my satellite service and probably my satellite TV also. I cannot connect with Casair right now even though their fiber optic cable is about 3.5 miles away. Would love to have unlimited internet out here.
I live in Dorr and have capped satellite internet through Dish and my bill between internet and satellite is over $200 a month. We can not stream due to limited internet. If you were to come through here, I would drop Dish quicker than they could beg me to stay.
Would like to see GLE bring service to everyone, PRONTO! Currently, I’m living in western Colorado where the Delta Montrose Electric Association is connecting people to fiber optic. Check out: http://www.dmea.com/content/elevate-fiber Folks are dropping Century Link (local ISP) with relish.
We’ll be moving to northwest Michigan next spring and would like to see fiber optic in the GLE service area before I’m too old to turn on a computer.
Thanks for your interest, Jim! We certainly “get” our members’ urgent need for this service. However, if we decide to proceed, bringing the service quickly to our entire 26-county service area would be quite the challenge. However, we’ll keep you updated here with further news as it becomes available on this proposed project.
I live in northwest Michigan. Signed up for the triple play with Spectrum after 5 years of being hounded only to bring disappointed. Unfortunately it would cost is $600 to have the line run under the road to it home. We said, no thanks and cancelled the order. Yes it would be nice to have GLE internet service.
We appreciate your interest, Karen! We’ll keep our members informed as more becomes known through our studies on this project and GLE’s potential role in bringing fiber Internet to areas we serve.
I know both my brother and I would join asap, satellite internet is shaky at best in our area. Cant wait for fiber to come out here.