Construction Update 4-12 to 4-25

Areas referenced below can be located on this map

LYNDON DESIGN 110518

Work completed 4/12/2020 through 4/18/2020:

Worked on H&M pedestal and hand holes tasks not related to fiber placement or splicing (Ellsworth and Joslin PONs)
Continued to evaluate which contractor to use for Blind Lake crossing (Bruin PON)
Began to pull fiber along 2.5 mile line on Boyce Road (Boyce PON)
Spliced 0 home drops (totals to date: 205 spliced – 89 in Werkner PON, 66 in Island Lake PON and 50 in Central Office PON)
Completed 7 new home self-installations on Roepke Road, Sandhill Pointe and South Lake Road in Central Office PON (totals to date: 185 with broadband – 87 in Werkner PON, 63 in Island Lake PON and 35 in Central Office PON)

Work to be completed 4/19/2020 through 4/25/2020:

Move forward with next steps for Blind Lake crossing (Bruin PON)
Continue H&M pedestal and hand hole tasks not related to fiber placement or splicing (Ellsworth and Joslin PONs)
Complete pulling remainder of fiber on Boyce Road (Boyce PON)
Begin to pull fiber in Wild Goose PON
Continue to reconfigure and/or repair splicing and pedestal prep in Central Office (east of M-52) PON
Continue to splice home drops in Central Office PON
Work with home owners on viable home self-installations

There are four basic phases of work in bringing internet service to your home:

Mainline Boring
Mainline Fiber Installation
Drop Installation (bringing fiber cable from the road to the side of each home)
Home Installation (bringing fiber into you home and attaching to network router)

Here is the current status for zones or PONS that are in progress.

Werkner
Mainline Boring complete
Mainline Fiber Installation complete
Drop Installations complete
Home Installations 98% (87) complete
(Note: Remaining 2 home installations are not ready for service)
89 Subscribers

Island Lake
Mainline Boring complete
Mainline Fiber Installation complete
Drop Installations complete
Home Installations 94% (63) complete
(Note: Remaining 4 home installations are either not ready for service or additional drop work needed)
67 Subscribers

Central Office
Mainline Boring complete
Mainline Fiber Installation complete
Drop Installations 92% (81) complete
Home Installations 40% (35) complete
88 Subscribers

Boyce
Mainline Boring complete
Mainline Fiber Installation complete
Drop Installations complete
127 Subscribers

Sugarloaf
Mainline Boring complete
Mainline Fiber Installation complete
Drop Installation 3% (3) complete
114 Subscribers

Guinan
Mainline Boring complete
Mainline Fiber Installation 49% complete
40 Subscribers

Long Lake
Mainline Boring complete
Mainline Fiber Installation 64% complete
80 Subscribers

Wild Goose
Mainline Boring complete
Mainline Fiber Installation 16% complete
45 Subscribers

Bruin
Mainline Boring 97% complete (Blind Lake crossing)
52 Subscribers

Joslin
Mainline Boring complete
58 Subscribers

Ellsworth
Mainline Boring 99% complete (Ellsworth Lake Road – pedestal installation and remaining road crossings)
90 Subscribers

Construction Update 4-5 to 4-18

Areas referenced below can be located on this map

LYNDON DESIGN 110518

Work completed 4/5/2020 through 4/11/2020:

Worked on H&M pedestal and hand holes tasks not related to fiber placement or splicing (Ellsworth PON)
Decided to use original contractor for Blind Lake crossing (Bruin PON)
Reconfigured and/or repaired 17 pedestals on Boyce Road and Coopersfield Road (Boyce PON)
Prepped 2.5 mile line on Boyce Road for cable
Spliced 10 home drops on Roepke Road and Sandhill Pointe in Central Office PON (totals to date: 195 spliced – 89 in Werkner PON, 66 in Island Lake PON and 50 in Central Office PON)
Completed 6 new home self-installations on Roe Road, Roepke Road, and South Lake Road in Central Office PON (totals to date: 172 with broadband – 87 in Werkner PON, 63 in Island Lake PON and 28 in Central Office PON)

Work to be completed 4/12/2020 through 4/18/2020:

Move forward with next steps for Blind Lake crossing (Bruin PON)
Continue H&M pedestal and hand hole tasks not related to fiber placement or splicing (Ellsworth PON)
Pull 2.5 miles of fiber on Boyce Road (Boyce PON)
Continue to reconfigure and/or repair splicing and pedestal prep in Central Office and Boyce PONs
Continue to splice home drops in Central Office PON
Work with home owners on viable home self-installations

There are four basic phases of work in bringing internet service to your home:

Mainline Boring
Mainline Fiber Installation
Drop Installation (bringing fiber cable from the road to the side of each home)
Home Installation (bringing fiber into you home and attaching to network router)

Here is the current status for zones or PONS that are in progress.

Central Office
Mainline Boring complete
Mainline Fiber Installation complete
Drop Installations 92% (81) complete
Home Installations 32% (28) complete
88 Subscribers

Boyce
Mainline Boring complete
Mainline Fiber Installation complete
Drop Installations complete
127 Subscribers

Sugarloaf
Mainline Boring complete
Mainline Fiber Installation complete
Drop Installation 3% (3) complete
114 Subscribers

Guinan
Mainline Boring complete
Mainline Fiber Installation 49% complete
40 Subscribers

Long Lake
Mainline Boring complete
Mainline Fiber Installation 64% complete
80 Subscribers

Wild Goose
Mainline Boring complete
Mainline Fiber Installation 16% complete
45 Subscribers

Bruin
Mainline Boring 97% complete (Blind Lake crossing)
52 Subscribers

Joslin
Mainline Boring complete
58 Subscribers

Ellsworth
Mainline Boring 98% complete (Ellsworth Lake Road – pedestal installation and remaining road crossings)
90 Subscribers

Public WiFi Access

To provide assistance to some Lyndon Township residents who do not yet have access to broadband, Lyndon Township, MEC, and your neighbors are working together on a unique solution to add public WiFi access to currently connected Lyndon Township homes. Residents who live close to someone who has been connected to broadband may be able to get online using a new “Lyndon Public” WiFi network.

On an opt-in basis, we are providing the capability for residents who have been connected to the broadband service to turn on a “Lyndon Public” WiFi guest network. Neighbors who are within range of these networks can connect with no password. Unfortunately WiFi only has a range of around 300 feet as a best case, so this will only help neighbors who live close to others who have the service, and only in the zones that are active – currently Werkner, Island Lake, and Central Office. Coverage will increase as additional households and zones come online. Please know that at long distances WiFi speeds may be slow and unreliable – for some residents this will be better than nothing, but please do not consider these long distance connections as a good example of what the fiber service is capable of.

We’d like to thank the residents who have chosen to opt in to this service and share their broadband connections. For connected residents who would still like to opt in, you can still do so opting in here. We’d also like to thank MEC for taking staff time during this busy period to make this happen.

If you have any questions please email lyndonbroadband1@gmail.com

Construction Update 3-29 to 4-11

Areas referenced below can be located on this map

LYNDON DESIGN 110518

Work completed 3/29/2020 through 4/4/2020:

Worked on H&M punchlist items not related to fiber placement or splicing (Ellsworth PON)
Met with contractor doing Blind Lake crossing (Bruin PON)
Spliced 11 home drops (totals to date: 195 spliced – 89 in Werkner PON, 66 in Island Lake PON and 40 in Central Office PON)
Completed 4 new home self-installations (totals to date: 172 with broadband – 87 in Werkner PON, 63 in Island Lake PON and 22 in Central Office PON)

Work to be completed 4/5/2020 through 4/11/2020:

Move forward with new steps for Blind Lake crossing (Bruin PON)
Continue H&M punchlist items not related to fiber placement or splicing (Ellsworth PON)
Install remaining pedestals and finish road crossings on Ellsworth Lake Road (Ellsworth PON)
Re-install 1.25 miles of fiber on Boyce Road (Boyce PON)
Reconfigure and/or repair splicing and pedestal prep in Central Office PON on North Territorial Road, east of M-52
Begin to reconfigure and/or repair splicing and pedestal prep in Boyce PON
Begin to splice home drops in Boyce PON
Work with home owners on viable home self-installations

There are four basic phases of work in bringing internet service to your home:

Mainline Boring
Mainline Fiber Installation
Drop Installation (bringing fiber cable from the road to the side of each home)
Home Installation (bringing fiber into you home and attaching to network router)

Here is the current status for zones or PONS that are in progress.

Central Office
Mainline Boring complete
Mainline Fiber Installation complete
Drop Installations 92% (81) complete
Home Installations 25% (22) complete
88 Subscribers

Boyce
Mainline Boring complete
Mainline Fiber Installation complete
Drop Installations complete
127 Subscribers

Sugarloaf
Mainline Boring complete
Mainline Fiber Installation complete
Drop Installation 3% (3) complete
114 Subscribers

Guinan
Mainline Boring complete
Mainline Fiber Installation 49% complete
40 Subscribers

Long Lake
Mainline Boring complete
Mainline Fiber Installation 64% complete
80 Subscribers

Wild Goose
Mainline Boring complete
Mainline Fiber Installation 16% complete
45 Subscribers

Bruin
Mainline Boring 97% complete (Blind Lake crossing)
52 Subscribers

Joslin
Mainline Boring complete
58 Subscribers

Ellsworth
Mainline Boring 98% complete (Ellsworth Lake Road – pedestal installation and remaining road crossings)
90 Subscribers

Construction Update 4-3-2020

Areas referenced below can be located on this map

LYNDON DESIGN 110518

Work completed in the past few weeks (before the COVID-19 pandemic work stoppage / slowdown):

Worked on H&M punchlist items not related to fiber placement or splicing
Spliced 20 home drops (totals to date: 184 spliced – 89 in Werkner PON, 66 in Island Lake PON and 29 in Central Office PON)
Completed 13 new home installations (totals to date: 168 with broadband – 87 in Werkner PON, 63 in Island Lake PON and 18 in Central Office PON)

Work to be completed 3/29/2020 through 4/11/2020:

Re-assign Blind Lake crossing to new contractor (Bruin PON)
Continue H&M punchlist items not related to fiber placement or splicing
Begin to re-install 1.25 miles of fiber on Boyce Road (Boyce PON)
Reconfigure and/or repair splicing and pedestal prep in Central Office PON on North Territorial Road, east of M-52
Begin to reconfigure and/or repair splicing and pedestal prep in Boyce PON
Re-start the splicing of home drops in Central Office PON
Begin to splice home drops in Boyce PON
Work with home owners on viable self home installations. Customers must meet certain qualifications for this option as there are stringent requirements to ensure the viability and reliability of the service. MEC representatives will reach out directly to customers who are eligible for this self-install process.

There are four basic phases of work in bringing internet service to your home:

Mainline Boring
Mainline Fiber Installation
Drop Installation (bringing fiber cable from the road to the side of each home)
Home Installation (bringing fiber into you home and attaching to network router)

Here is the current status for zones or PONS that are in progress.

Central Office
Mainline Boring complete
Mainline Fiber Installation complete
Drop Installations 92% (82) complete
Home Installations 20% (18) complete
89 Subscribers

Boyce
Mainline Boring complete
Mainline Fiber Installation complete
Drop Installations complete
129 Subscribers

Sugarloaf
Mainline Boring complete
Mainline Fiber Installation complete
Drop Installation 3% (3) complete
114 Subscribers

Guinan
Mainline Boring complete
Mainline Fiber Installation 49% complete
40 Subscribers

Long Lake
Mainline Boring complete
Mainline Fiber Installation 64% complete
80 Subscribers

Wild Goose
Mainline Boring complete
Mainline Fiber Installation 16% complete
45 Subscribers

Bruin
Mainline Boring 97% complete
52 Subscribers

Joslin
Mainline Boring 92% complete
58 Subscribers

Ellsworth
Mainline Boring 98% complete
90 Subscribers

MEC Update 3-27-2020

Given the stay-at-home orders issued by the Governors of Michigan and Indiana we are discontinuing in-home fiber installations until April 13. We know this service is more important than ever as people find themselves doing work and school from home; however, it is imperative that we do our part to contain this virus. Currently outside fiber construction is also paused, but we are working with our contractors on a day to day basis to see what construction can be accomplished during this period.

In the interim, our team has implemented a process to provide necessary equipment along with instructions and telephone support to enable self-installs for households that are ready for activation. Customers must meet certain qualifications for this option as there are some stringent requirements to ensure the viability and reliability of the service. Our representatives will reach out directly to customers who are eligible for this self-install process. At this time, we ask that you not contact us about the self-install due to the number of calls we are currently receiving.

Thank you for your understanding and patience as we navigate these uncharted waters.

WiFi at the Township Hall

The WiFi at the Township Hall is available for public use. Residents are welcome to park in the Township parking lot and access the WiFi. You should park near the front of the building – the WiFi access point is on the northeast corner of the building. The wireless networks are “Lyndon Public 5GHz” and “Lyndon Public 2.4GHz”. The 5GHz network can yield faster speeds but has shorter coverage, the 2.4GHz can yield slower speeds but has better coverage. Speeds are highly affected by distance from the access point, how much the metal in your car blocks the signal, and other factors. Please note that while the Township Hall has a 1 Gbps connection, actual speeds on WiFi will be slower than this.

Lyndon Township & Broadband Project COVID-19 Response

Lyndon Township & Broadband Project COVID-19 Response

The Governor has issued Executive Directive No. 2020-2 with respect to the Open Meetings Act. The township will continue to hold public meetings via audio & video conferencing only and will only conduct business via phone, email, mail and dropbox (at the Township Hall) for the next 3 weeks (4-4-2020). Some meetings will be canceled and rescheduled. The Township doors will be locked. The conference call in number and meeting code will be noticed on the Lyndon Township website http://www.twp-lyndon.org for each meeting. We ask for your patience as we work through these challenging times.

With many residents now conducting work and educational activities from home, we understand that broadband has become even more critical. While many Lyndon Township residents now have access to broadband, we know that many others have yet to be hooked up. The Lyndon Township Broadband Oversight and Implementation Committees are working together to explore measures to help residents who do not yet have access to broadband.

WiFi at the Township Hall
The WiFi at the Township Hall is available for public use. Residents are welcome to park in the Township parking lot and access the WiFi. You should park near the front of the building – the WiFi access point is on the northeast corner of the building. The wireless networks are “Lyndon Public 5GHz” and “Lyndon Public 2.4GHz”. The 5GHz network can yield faster speeds but has shorter coverage, the 2.4GHz can yield slower speeds but has better coverage. Speeds are highly affected by distance from the access point, how much the metal in your car blocks the signal, and other factors. Please note that while the Township Hall has a 1 Gbps connection, actual speeds on WiFi will be slower than this.

Expediting home connections
Both Lyndon Broadband committees understand the frustration of residents who have signed up for service but are not yet connected. Even before the COVID-19 concerns, the Implementation Committee has been working to get the remaining residents connected as quickly as possible. The current construction schedule that was just released represents the best estimate for when home installations are likely to occur in each zone. (http://www.lyndonbroadband.org/2020/03/14/lyndon-broadband-project-status-update-3-14-2020/) We are working to see if there is any way we can get people connected more quickly while still staying within the budget that is available for the project, although at this time we cannot promise to go any faster than the current estimates.

Maintaining the current schedule
The Lyndon Broadband committees are working with MEC to monitor whether COVID-19 is likely to impact the schedule for the remaining construction and installations. At this time there are no delays due to COVID-19. Outdoor fiber work continues as planned. Home installations are continuing as they become available. MEC’s in-home installers will not continue to work if they show any signs of illness. MEC installers will call before coming onsite to ensure no residents in the household are showing signs of illness.

Speed for activated households
To help support their subscribers during this time, MEC has temporarily increased the speed on all plans below 100 Mbps to 100 Mbps.

Additional measures
The Lyndon Broadband committees are is exploring additional measures to provide relief to residents who do not yet have access to broadband, and will make further announcements if any of these measures are implemented.

Thank you for your patience during this difficult time. If you have any questions or concerns please email lyndonbroadband1@gmail.com.

Lyndon Broadband Project Status Update 3-14-2020

Lyndon Broadband Project Status Update
Prepared by Implementation Committee
March 14, 2020

As spring draws near, the Lyndon Township Broadband Implementation Committee is pleased to provide an update on what work has been completed over the winter, and an installation schedule for residents who are not yet connected.

MAINLINE CONSTRUCTION

The most significant part of the mainline construction project, accounting for about 90% of the construction cost and the longest part of the timeline, is the installation of underground conduit via directional boring. Our construction contractor Henkels and McCoy has been continuing at a good pace throughout the winter, and we are pleased to announce that this part of the project is complete! It is a big milestone to have all of the conduit in the ground, and we are excited to share this good news.

FIBER PLACEMENT AND SPLICING

As the conduit is built underground, the next step is to install fiber optic cable in the conduit and splice it to make the correct connections. We encountered problems with the quality and speed of the fiber placement and splicing work done by Henkels & McCoy. When the work quality problems were detected, we stopped Henkels & McCoy from completing further fiber work. After significant analysis and discussion, the Lyndon Township Broadband Implementation Committee recommended, and the Lyndon Township Board approved the transfer of the remaining fiber placement and splicing work to MEC and their subcontractors. This change is estimated to be cost neutral and with MEC handling all the remaining installation tasks, we feel confident in the new estimated schedule that MEC has provided us.

ESTIMATED SCHEDULE

The estimated schedule for most zones still aligns with the estimated schedule we released last fall. The two zones where the schedule was most impacted are Central Office and Boyce. This is largely due to the time taken to analyze and execute on the best path forward after problems were discovered with the fiber placement and splicing in these zones done by Henkels & McCoy. The volunteers that make up the Implementation Committee recognize our responsibility to our fellow Lyndon Township residents for the project schedule and budget. The new estimates are intended to be conservative and it is our hope, though we can’t promise, that we may be able to find ways to improve upon this timeline.

The township has been divided into 11 zones or in networking terms, PONs (Passive Optical Networks). These zones represent the sequence in which construction and installations will occur. You can find your zone here: http://www.lyndonbroadband.org/zone-map/

Werkner

Mainline boring complete
Mainline fiber installation complete
Drop installation complete
Home installations: 98% (87) complete (a few waiting for homeowner to call back for scheduling).

Island Lake

Mainline boring complete
Mainline fiber installation complete
Drop installation complete
Home installations 94% (63) complete (a few waiting for homeowner to call back for scheduling).

Central Office

Mainline boring complete
Mainline fiber installation complete (some repairs still underway)
Drop installations: 92% (82) complete
Home installations underway 6% (5) complete, others being scheduled

Boyce

Mainline boring complete
Mainline fiber installation complete (some repairs still underway – one section of fiber to be replaced)
Drop installations complete
Home installations to begin late April

Sugarloaf

Mainline boring complete
Mainline fiber installation complete
Drop installations to begin in mid-April
Home installations to begin in late May

Guinan

Mainline boring complete
Mainline fiber installation 49%, to be completed in mid-May
Drop installations to begin in mid-May
Home installations to begin in late May

Long Lake

Mainline boring complete
Mainline fiber installation 64%, to be completed in mid-May
Drop installations to begin in late May
Home installations to begin in mid-June

Wild Goose

Mainline boring complete
Mainline fiber installation 24%, to be completed in early June
Drop installations to begin in early June
Home installations to begin in late June

Bruin

Mainline boring complete
Mainline fiber installation 0%, to be completed in early July
Drop installations to begin in late June
Home installations to begin in early July

Joslin

Mainline boring complete
Mainline fiber installation 0%, to be completed in mid-July
Drop installations to begin in early July
Home installations to begin in late July

Ellsworth

Mainline boring complete
Mainline fiber installation 0%, to be completed in early August
Drop installations to begin in mid-July
Home installations to begin in mid-August.

As always, please reach out to lyndonbroadband1@gmail.com with any questions.

Construction Update 3-1 to 3-14

Areas referenced below can be located on this map

LYNDON DESIGN 110518

Work completed 3/1/2020 through 3/7/2020:

3 to 5 bore crews on-site
Bored 1,060 feet on Stofer Road (Wild Goose PON)
Bored 226 feet on Ellsworth Lake Road (Ellsworth PON)
Installed 3 pedestals in Wild Goose PON
Reconfigured and/or repaired splicing and pedestal prep on Roe Road, M-52, and Greystone Drive in Central Office PON
Spliced 8 home drops (totals to-date: 164 spliced – 89 in Werkner PON, 66 in Island Lake PON and 9 in Central Office PON)
Completed 4 new home installation (totals to date: 155 with broadband – 87 in Werkner PON, 63 in Island Lake PON, and 5 in Central Office PON (Township Hall))

Work to be completed 3/8/2020 through 3/14/2020:

2 to 3 bore crews on-site
Bore on Homewild Drive (Joslin PON)
Bore on Ellsworth Lake Road (Ellsworth PON)
Finish installing pedestals and complete pedestal audit
Continue to reconfigure and/or repair splicing and pedestal prep in Central Office PON
Continue to splice home drops and conduct installations in Central Office PON

There are four basic phases of work in bringing internet service to your home:

Mainline Boring
Mainline Fiber Installation
Drop Installation (bringing fiber cable from the road to the side of each home)
Home Installation (bringing fiber into you home and attaching to network router)

Here is the current status for zones or PONS that are in progress.

Island Lake
Mainline Boring complete (except for added Stofer Road section)
Mainline Fiber Installation complete
Drop Installations complete
Home Installations 94% (63) complete
(Note: Remaining 4 home installations are either not ready for service or additional drop work needed)
67 Subscribers

Central Office
Mainline Boring complete
Mainline Fiber Installation complete
Drop Installations 92% (82) complete
Home Installations 6% (5) complete
89 Subscribers

Boyce
Mainline Boring complete
Mainline Fiber Installation complete
Drop Installations complete
129 Subscribers

Sugarloaf
Mainline Boring complete
Mainline Fiber Installation complete
Drop Installation 3% (3) complete
114 Subscribers

Guinan
Mainline Boring complete
Mainline Fiber Installation 49% complete
40 Subscribers

Long Lake
Mainline Boring complete
Mainline Fiber Installation 64% complete
80 Subscribers

Wild Goose
Mainline Boring complete
Mainline Fiber Installation 24% complete
45 Subscribers

Bruin
Mainline Boring 97% complete
52 Subscribers

Joslin
Mainline Boring 92% complete
58 Subscribers

Ellsworth
Mainline Boring 98% complete
90 Subscribers

Construction Update 2-23 to 3-7

Areas referenced below can be located on this map

LYNDON DESIGN 110518

Work completed 2/23/2020 through 2/29/2020:

5 bore crews on-site (No work on February 26 or 27 due to weather.)
Bored 850 feet on Stofer Road (Wild Goose PON)
Bored 184 feet on Ellsworth Lake Road (Ellsworth PON)
Installed 1 pedestal in Guinan PON
Completed 0 new home installation (totals to date: 151 with broadband – 87 in Werkner PON, 63 in Island Lake PON, and 1 in Central Office PON (Township Hall))
Lyndon Township Broadband Engineer finalized Werkner, Island Lake, Central Office and Boyce PONs punchlist (remaining items) for H&M to complete
Lyndon Township Board reviewed and voted on sole source justification to transfer remaining splicing, cable pulling, and pedestal preparation from H&M to MEC

Work to be completed 3/1/2020 through 3/7/2020:

4 to 5 bore crews on-site
Bore on Stofer Road (Island Lake PON) – new section added based on re-engineered drawings
Bore on Homewild Drive (Joslin PON)
Bore on Crescent Drive (Bruin PON)
Bore on Ellsworth Lake Road (Ellsworth PON)
Complete remaining boring
Complete installation of remaining pedestals
Continue to reconfigure and/or repair splicing and pedestal prep in Central Office PON
Home installations expected to resume in Central Office PON

There are four basic phases of work in bringing internet service to your home:

Mainline Boring
Mainline Fiber Installation
Drop Installation (bringing fiber cable from the road to the side of each home)
Home Installation (bringing fiber into you home and attaching to network router)

Here is the current status for zones or PONS that are in progress.

Central Office
Mainline Boring complete
Mainline Fiber Installation complete
Drop Installations 93% (80) complete
Home Installations 1% (1) complete
86 Subscribers

Boyce
Mainline Boring complete
Mainline Fiber Installation complete
Drop Installations complete
126 Subscribers

Sugarloaf
Mainline Boring complete
Mainline Fiber Installation complete
Drop Installation 3% (3) complete
114 Subscribers

Guinan
Mainline Boring complete
Mainline Fiber Installation 49% complete
40 Subscribers

Long Lake
Mainline Boring complete
Mainline Fiber Installation 64% complete
80 Subscribers

Wild Goose
Mainline Boring complete
Mainline Fiber Installation 24% complete
45 Subscribers

Bruin
Mainline Boring 97% complete
52 Subscribers

Joslin
Mainline Boring 92% complete
58 Subscribers

Ellsworth
Mainline Boring 98% complete
90 Subscribers