City to Connect to Chicago Via Fiber Optic Line Beneath Lake Michigan
Benton Harbor, Mich. gets 75-year lease plus free internet in City Hall.
WASHINGTON, June 22, 2026 — Plans for an underwater fiber-optic cable between Chicago and Benton Harbor, Michigan, are going forward as the state’s high-speed broadband program draws closer to completion.
Benton Harbor city commissioners signed a 75-year ground lease with Peninsula Fiber Network on June 16. The project is funded by a $61 million grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration awarded in 2023. Once complete, the fiber-optic cable is expected to provide free internet for seven years to the city’s public facilities, including the library and City Hall.
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