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Cherry Capital’s FTTX Expansion: A Partnership with Millennium Shapes Northern Michigan’s Connectivity
Cherry Capital’s FTTX Expansion: A Partnership with Millennium Shapes Northern Michigan’s Connectivity
In Northern Michigan, Cherry Capital is not just expanding; it’s transforming. As a leader in broadband services, Cherry Capital has transitioned from a WISP (wireless internet service provider) to a robust Fiber Internet Service Provider (FISP), marking a significant step forward in connecting unserved and underserved rural communities. This transformation was guided with critical partnerships, including one with Millennium, being crucial in accelerating Cherry Capital’s FTTx expansion efforts.
From WISP to FISP: Cherry Capital's Broadband Expansion
Cherry Capital is at the forefront of enhancing Northern Michigan’s economy through advanced fiber connectivity. Recognizing the growing demand for remote work opportunities, Cherry Capital is dedicated to enabling a remote-working lifestyle by providing rural areas with high-speed, uncapped FTTx service. This commitment ensures that no location, whether it’s at the end of a mile-long driveway or atop a hundred-foot hill, is left without reliable internet.
Founded in 2006 from the merger of three WISPs, Cherry Capital is based in Elk Rapids, Michigan. By 2016, the leadership foresaw the decline of fixed-point wireless and pivoted towards the burgeoning future of fiber optics. This strategic shift not only enhanced the quality of internet service to Northern Michigan but also significantly boosted the company’s profitability. Cherry Capital’s proactive transition allowed them to stay ahead of traditional telephone service providers and firmly establish themselves as a leader in fiber broadband, setting a standard for their community.
Empowering Cherry Capital's Broadband Initiatives: Millennium's Role in Rural Connectivity
Millennium has been instrumental in supporting Cherry Capital’s ambitious projects, providing expert guidance and a comprehensive suite of solutions that streamlined every phase of the network development—from planning and engineering to the final stages of implementation. This partnership ensured that Cherry Capital not only met but exceeded the growing demand for high-speed, reliable internet in rural regions across Northern Michigan.
Advancing Tribal Connectivity: Cherry Capital's Broadband Expansion to Connect Tribal Communities
In early May of 2024, Cherry Capital extended its FTTx network across the Straits of Mackinac to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, focusing on enhancing broadband access in Chippewa and Mackinac counties. This initiative marks a crucial step in constructing a tribal broadband network for the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa, aimed at significantly reducing the digital divide within the community. The tribe secured substantial funding through the ReConnect program—$25 million for building the network and an additional $500,000 from the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program to improve broadband affordability.
Millennium helped tribal leadership find the right partner for the project, aligning project goals and vision. This collaboration has culminated in Cherry Capital being chosen to develop the tribe’s broadband infrastructure, promising enhanced connectivity and long-term socio-economic benefits for the tribe.
Mackinaw & Chippewa Expansion Project
May/June 2024 Project Started
23,000 Total Planned Homes To Pass
15,000 Rural Non-Tribal Home
8,000 Sault Ste. Marie Tribal Homes
$25 Million Reconnect for Sault St. Marie Tribe
$500,000 from the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program to subsidize broadband affordability.
Transforming Broadband Access: Millennium's Partnership-Driven Approach
Millennium’s role in advancing this broadband initiative is pivotal, not just through technical and logistical support, but through the cultivation of strategic partnerships that drive project success, truly understanding the needs of the project – inside and out. With expansive broadband knowledge and forward-thinking, they were able to make a key partnership come to life.
“It’s essential to have relationships with companies that can cast a wide network of partnerships to make any project successful,” says Kevin Czacki, VP of Millennium Broadband Solutions. “Our collaborative approach and extensive partner network are key in navigating the complexities of such an expansive project.”
Empowering FTTX Expansion Through Local Expertise
Cherry Capital began working with Millennium in 2018 to accelerate market growth. Millennium has emerged as a key strategic partner for Cherry Capital, providing support with designing and engineering, funding expertise, and managing fiber materials solutions to streamline fiber construction.
Through these multifaceted contributions, Millennium has not only supported the technical execution of projects but has also enhanced Cherry Capital’s strategic scope, ensuring that each initiative delivers maximum impact and sustainable success.
Experiencing tremendous growth from fiber projects and Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funding in the pipeline, Cherry Capital needed to outsource engineering to accelerate fiber construction. Millennium Engineering was selected for its superior network design, project strategies, and previously detailed plans for the Grand Traverse County project to connect Elk Rapids to Acme, Michigan.
“Millennium Engineering has brought new tools to the table. Their GIS dashboards and online data portals let me quickly get a hold of the data I need. There is innovation coming out of the team, and they are very responsive.” — Tim Maylone, General Manager at Cherry Capital Connection
Cherry Capital has successfully won federal broadband grants to spur growth; however, BEAD is a next-level challenge with its compliance hurdles. Millennium has grant specialists that Cherry Capital has been working with to clarify compliance, including cybersecurity requirements. Receiving this funding will allow their network to extend into new markets, achieving the state of Michigan’s goal of connecting 95% of all households with a permanent internet connection.
When Cherry Capital began transitioning to fiber, Millennium was there, providing quality materials and the resources necessary to remain agile.
“Millennium goes well beyond providing products. Our relationship is mutually beneficial, and that extra mile they go to provide insights makes a difference in our success.” — Tim Maylone, General Manager at Cherry Capital Connection
Alternative capital equipment procurement methods keep fast-growing networks, like Cherry Capital, flexible and ready to undertake new projects. Cherry Capital has used Millennium Equipment’s rental and leasing program for splicers and fiber blowers, which has allowed it to stay nimble by reducing upfront capital expenditures.
“When it came to trying out a fiber blowing machine, we rented it through Millennium Equipment first to get a feel for what it could do for our productivity. Eventually, we bought that unit, but it was very helpful to have the option to try it out first.” — Tim Maylone, General Manager at Cherry Capital Connection
Future-Proofing Through Innovation with End-to-End Support
Future-Proofing Through Innovation: The continuous collaboration between Cherry Capital, Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa, and Millennium is about more than current needs. It’s about future-proofing infrastructure, preparing for next-generation technologies, and ensuring that the networks being built today will serve the communities well into the future.
This partnership exemplifies how strategic collaborations can significantly amplify the impact of technological expansions, especially in regions that need connectivity solutions most. Cherry Capital’s story is a testament to the power of combining local insights with global expertise to create networks that are not only expansive but also inclusive.
Future-Focused Network Owners from
Coast to Coast Look to Millennium For:
- Feasibility Studies & Network Design Plans
- Financing & Grants
- Project Resource Management
- Material Supply & Logistical Planning
- Equipment Leasing & Rentals
