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Winter 2012 REACH-3MC Update
By Greg Monroe
As a new year begins, Merit's REACH-3MC Team can reflect on a busy and accomplished 2011. Having begun construction on the Round 2 portion of the project, deployed optical equipment at key network nodes and made significant progress securing necessary permits, we are ready to hit the ground running in 2012.
In December, Merit broke ground on Round 2 with a segment of underground construction from Bruce Crossing south to Watersmeet. This is a very exciting milestone for Merit and REACH-3MC because it also marks the beginning of construction in the Upper Peninsula.
Also in the Upper Peninsula, Merit's engineering team has begun deploying the REACH-3MC Optical platform. Merit recently installed upgraded equipment at 16 nodes between Governing Members, Lake Superior State University, Northern Michigan University and Michigan Technological University. The equipment, which is supplied by ADVA Optical Networking and was successfully lit in early December, increases speeds to 10 Gbps (gigabits per second). It will also interconnect with REACH-3MC network build-out, enabling the fast turn-up of hundreds more current and New Merit Members as the fiber is constructed.
We've been hard at work installing REACH-3MC equipment in the Lower Peninsula as well. As part of REACH-3MC, Merit has installed upgraded ADVA equipment at optical nodes in Mt. Pleasant, Grand Rapids and Muskegon, though these sites have not been lit at this time. Upgraded equipment will also be installed in Big Rapids once a renovation on the site that will house the equipment is completed. Merit plans to lite these four nodes before the end of the first quarter 2012.
We view permitting as the major precursor to construction, and we have a group of dedicated team members whose focus in on clearing permits so large stretches of construction can commence. Since the Fall, they have set a weekly goal to increase the total percentage of permits cleared by 5%. Currently 76% of all permits have been approved for the Round 1 portion of our award. Of the remaining permits for Round 1, all but 16 involve "make ready." Make ready is a term that refers to any work a pole-owner must perform to accommodate a new attachment such as moving a party's existing fiber to make room. Pole permits that require make ready typically take longer than normal pole permits to clear because of the extra work that is required. All pole permits (including make ready) are forecast to be approved by end of February.
Merit's Round 2 project is catching up to Round 1 as well, currently at 55% of all permits approved. Merit has been hard at work in Round 2 successfully securing 11 of 13 property easements in the Upper Peninsula that will be necessary for the construction of telecommunications huts that will house the important equipment to power the network.
Also as part of the Round 2 project, Merit has executed an agreement with Enventis, a telecommunications provider in Northern Minnesota, to co-build a segment of the REACH-3MC route from Superior, Wisconsin to Duluth, Minnesota, including a river crossing of the St. Louis Bay. The collaboration between Merit and Enventis reduces the overall cost of the project and ultimately saves tax dollars. In late December, Merit staff oversaw the installation of conduit beneath the St. Louis Bay. Additionally, Merit has executed an agreement with the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians to build through the tribal reservation in Odanah, Wisconsin, while working with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to receive guidance on permitting requirements for construction in the area.
Merit has secured warehouse space to house the massive amount of fiber and materials required for REACH-3MC. We have ordered 100% of materials necessary to complete the project. Delivery will be staggered over the next four months to maximize the space in our warehouse and ensure that we will always be one step ahead of construction.
Whether you're a Merit Member who is excited to see the progress of Round 1 or Round 2 take shape in your area, or whether you're just excited for the immense benefit the REACH-3MC fiber will hold for Michigan, look for the lion's share of construction to take place this spring.
For all updates on REACH-3MC, be sure to visit:
www.merit.edu/meritformichigan
January 2012 - Merit Connections Newsletter
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