MARQUETTE, Mich.—Northern Michigan University’s WiMAX network now extends to Ishpeming, Sawyer and Gwinn. The expanded coverage brings broadband wireless Internet access to more off-campus students and allows NMU to partner with government and education officials to develop programs and services that take advantage of the wireless network. The WiMAX coverage area now totals about 40 square miles.

Dave Maki, NMU’s chief technology officer, said the next step will be working to improve coverage in Harvey.

"We've got WiMAX all around the NMU Golf Course and in the Lakewood Lane area, but we don't have a tower that covers the area on Highway 41 from the rock cut to about Jack's Foods. We need to fill that in."

WiMAX is the next generation (4G) of wireless and has much broader access than the WiFi signal. Northern has one of the largest active WiMAX networks in the United States and is one of the first universities to deploy and fully operate a WiMAX network.