January 15, 2013
MEDIA ADVISORY
Who:
Congressman Tim Walberg
Mary Wolfram, Director of Economic Development, City of Hillsdale
Eric Macy, Information Technology, Hillsdale Board of Public Utilities
David Zenz, Executive Director of Information Technology Services, Hillsdale College
David Holcomb, Information Technology Director, Hillsdale County
James Jones, Information Technology Director, Jackson Community College
Denis Walsh, Chief Relationship Officer, OARnet
Bob Stovall, Vice President of Network Engineering and Operations, Merit Network
What:
Fiber-optic Infrastructure Dedication for the Hillsdale Community to commemorate the completion of a significant segment of Merit’s REACH-3MC Broadband Stimulus Project. Hillsdale Community Library will host key stakeholders who will reflect upon this momentous occasion. Merit Network will announce this milestone for the project and answer questions on how the community can take advantage of this high-speed network.
In 2010, Merit Network, Inc. received two federal stimulus awards for REACH-3MC. The Rural, Education, Anchor, Community and Health care – Michigan Middle Mile Collaborative (REACH-3MC) will create 2,287 miles of fiber-optic infrastructure in rural and underserved areas throughout Michigan and provide backhaul to key interconnection points in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Through REACH-3MC, Merit will enable state and local government, colleges, schools, libraries, health care facilities and other community anchor institutions to connect to Merit’s private, high-performance network, enabling them to lower costs, consolidate services and provide more to Michigan’s citizens. Merit engages sub-recipients from the private sector to improve service to homes and businesses along the REACH-3MC route. Merit’s existing fiber infrastructure combined with the new REACH-3MC network infrastructure creates a robust footprint in the state, providing Michigan with a strategic asset to leverage in the future.
Where:
Hillsdale Community Library
11 E. Bacon St.
Hillsdale, MI 49242
When:
January 17, 2013 at 11:00 AM
How:
The event is open to the public. Anyone may attend in person. Please arrive 15 minutes before the scheduled start time.
For more information: www.merit.edu
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