
A whole lot more fiber optic cable is about to get laid around Southwest Michigan.
Midwest Energy and Communications has announced that in the final six months of this year, it will begin construction of 361 miles of new fiber internet infrastructure in rural areas near Benton Harbor, Coloma, Covert, and points to the east stretching all the way to Battle Creek. The project is intended to bring a new high-speed option to more than 4,000 homes and businesses that currently lack access to broadband internet.
MEC says since the beginning of its internet rollout in 2015, it’s brought a high-speed fiber service to more than 76,000 homes and businesses throughout its sprawling service area. In 2025, it will build to an additional 21,000 addresses.
MEC’s work in Southwest Michigan has been aided by millions in state grants that Berrien and Van Buren counties helped the company secure.
MEC says having been headquartered in the region for nearly 90 years, it understands the digital divide faced by those in rural areas and seeks to eliminate it. The company will announce new construction areas for the first half of 2026 in January.