News & UpdatesThe latest from M1 Fiber Communications.

Fiber Installation Begins in Rochester Hills NEW

ROCHESTER HILLS, MI — M1 Fiber Communications is pleased to announce that construction crews have begun boring operations along the Rochester Road corridor, bringing fiber optic trunk lines to over 4,000 homes in the Rochester Hills service area.

The Phase III expansion project, approved by the Rochester Hills City Council in September, will deploy approximately 18 miles of new fiber plant serving neighborhoods east and west of Rochester Road between Avon Road and Tienken Road. The first customer connections are expected to be ready for service in February 2002.

"This is a significant milestone for M1 Fiber and for Rochester Hills residents," said Mark Dempsey, M1 Fiber President and CEO. "For too long, this community has been underserved by the incumbent providers. We're changing that — one block at a time."

Residents in the construction zone can check their address for upcoming service availability by calling 1-800-M1-FIBER or visiting our Coverage Areas page.

M1 Fiber Signs Landmark Infrastructure Partnership with Huron River Valley Authority

PONTIAC, MI — In a move that will dramatically expand broadband capacity across southeast Michigan, M1 Fiber Communications and the Huron River Valley Authority (HRVA) have signed a 20-year infrastructure agreement granting M1 Fiber right-of-way access along 47 miles of the Huron River corridor.

The agreement allows M1 Fiber to deploy a new fiber optic backbone along HRVA-managed land stretching from Pontiac to Ann Arbor, creating a high-capacity link between Oakland and Washtenaw counties. The route largely follows the Huron River, leveraging existing HRVA utility corridors and minimizing environmental impact.

"The Huron River Valley Authority is committed to bringing vital infrastructure to the communities we serve," said HRVA Executive Director Thomas Bridgeman. "High-speed internet access is no longer a luxury — it's essential infrastructure, just like electricity and water. We're proud to partner with a Michigan-based company like M1 Fiber to make this a reality."

Construction on the Huron River backbone is expected to begin in Spring 2002, with the first segments going live by Q4 2002. Once complete, the new backbone will increase M1 Fiber's total network capacity by an estimated 400% and provide redundant routing options to protect against outages.

New Pontiac Point-of-Presence Goes Live — Subscribers See 40% Speed Boost

PONTIAC, MI — M1 Fiber's new Point-of-Presence (POP) at the Pontiac Telecom Exchange at 451 Joslyn Avenue is now fully operational. The new facility houses a Cisco 12000 Series Internet Router and provides direct peering with four Tier 1 backbone providers: UUNET, SprintLink, Level 3, and Cable & Wireless.

"The new Pontiac POP is a game-changer for our subscribers," said Robert Thibodeaux, M1 Fiber CTO. "By establishing direct peering relationships at a carrier-neutral exchange, we've cut latency to major Internet destinations by an average of 18 milliseconds and increased available throughput by approximately 40% during peak hours."

The facility features redundant power systems with a 48-hour battery backup and an on-site diesel generator, ensuring continuous operation even during extended power outages. The POP is monitored 24/7 by M1 Fiber's Network Operations Center.

M1 Fiber Brings Free Internet Access to Oakland County Public Libraries

PONTIAC, MI — M1 Fiber has completed installation of dedicated T1 (1.544 Mbps) internet connections at six Oakland County public library branches, providing free high-speed internet access to library patrons. The libraries receiving new connections are: Pontiac Public Library, Rochester Hills Public Library, Clarkston Independence District Library, Orion Township Public Library, Auburn Hills Public Library, and Bloomfield Township Public Library.

"Public libraries are the information backbone of our communities," said Linda Park, M1 Fiber CFO. "This is part of our commitment to digital equity in Oakland County. Every resident deserves access to the internet, regardless of their ability to pay for a home connection."

The library connections are provided at no cost as part of M1 Fiber's Community Connectivity Program, which also provides discounted residential service to qualifying low-income households.

Scheduled Network Maintenance — December 15, 2001 (2:00 AM – 6:00 AM EST)

PONTIAC, MI — M1 Fiber will perform scheduled network maintenance on Saturday, December 15, 2001, from 2:00 AM to 6:00 AM Eastern Standard Time. During this maintenance window, subscribers in the Pontiac (248-332, 248-333, 248-334, 248-335) and Auburn Hills (248-370, 248-364) exchanges may experience intermittent service interruptions totaling no more than 45 minutes.

The maintenance involves a firmware upgrade to our core routing infrastructure and is necessary to support the new Pontiac POP peering capacity. We apologize for any inconvenience. If you experience connectivity issues outside of this maintenance window, please contact Technical Support at 1-800-M1-FIBER.

Back-to-School Special: Free Installation for Teachers and School Staff

PONTIAC, MI — To celebrate the 2001–2002 school year, M1 Fiber is offering free standard installation ($49.95 value) for all K–12 teachers, administrators, and school staff in our service area. This offer is valid for new residential fiber subscriptions through October 31, 2001. Proof of school employment required. Contact us for details.