October 2022 Construction Update

Thank you for your interest in MEC internet.

We have run into delays in some of our construction zones. Part of the process involves attaching our fiber lines to poles owned by other companies, which requires special permits. Permit approval has taken longer than expected. However, rest assured that we are working as hard and as fast as we can to get construction complete and customers installed. We'll continue to update you monthly on progress.

Have you paid your connection fee and are waiting for your installation? The update below shows when you can expect a call from us to schedule your appointment. We know waiting is hard, and we appreciate your patience. Please make sure you check your voicemails in case you miss a call from us.

Here's the latest on where we are with construction for 2022:

• Brady and 24th Street in Vicksburg, Davis Lake in Edwardsburg, Painter School Rd in Eau Claire, Mendon, Mottville, Palisades Area, and Sherman Township Extension in Sturgis, Sturgis Area, and Vandalia: Construction is complete, and home installs are happening in these areas.
• Clayton, Deer Pointe Subdivision in Tecumseh, Eagle Lake in Decatur, Kaiser Lake in Three Rivers, Loch Erin, Sister Lakes in Dowagiac, South Decatur, and Tipton: Permits are pending in these areas, but construction and installs are still on track to begin in Q4 of this year.
• Eau Claire, Featherstone in White Pigeon, Nottawa in Centreville, and Tecumseh: Mainline construction is well underway, and some early signups are being installed. Due to the size of these zones, more installations can be anticipated in Q4 of this year.
• Oronoko in Berrien Springs: Walkout work is complete, and permits are pending. Mainline construction is beginning and home installs could be delayed into Q2 of 2023.
• Bainbridge in Benton Harbor, Seneca in Hudson, South Eau Claire, and Woodstock in Onsted: Permits are pending, and mainline construction is beginning. Installations are anticipated to begin in Q4 of this year but due to the size of these zones, home installs could be delayed into Q2 of 2023.
• Bangor, Arlington and Geneva in Bangor, Brooklyn in Cement City, East and South Hartford, Hagar Shore in Benton Harbor, Leroy and Newton in Battle Creek, Manchester, Napoleon, Norvell in Napoleon, Paw Paw Lake in Watervliet, and Wakeshma in Athens: We will start construction in these zones sometime in 2023. We have not determined our construction plans yet.

FYI: Like with all construction projects, dates are subject to change. We send updates every month to keep you informed on progress. Once construction is complete in an area, it can take 6-12 weeks for installation depending on our current installation schedule.

Key Terms in the Fiber Construction Process:

Walkout Work: Involves surveying the area to decide how to lay fiber lines.
Mainline Construction: The mainline represents the backbone of our fiber infrastructure and carries fiber out into our communities.
Mainline Splicing: Connects the fiber cables together along this backbone.
Drop Construction (or Service Drop): We bring the fiber from the mainline to your property/home and install a network interface device (NID) on your property near the electric meter.
Drop Splice: We connect the mainline fiber to the service drop and the fiber cables inside the NID. This is the last step before home installation.

For more information about the fiber construction process, please review this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8pMeRsnQko