123.Net Inc., commonly referred to as 123NET, is a telecommunications company based in

Southfield, Michigan Southfield is a city in Oakland County, Michigan, Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, the city had a population of 76,618. As a northern suburb of Detroit, Southfield shares part of its ...

, in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. It provides a range of services including

telephone A telephone is a telecommunications device that permits two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most efficiently the human voice, into e ...

internet The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...

, and colocation. As one of the early Competitive Local Exchange Carriers, 123NET established interconnections with

AT&T AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the world's largest telecommunications company by revenue and the third largest provider of mobile tel ...

and

Verizon Verizon Communications Inc., commonly known as Verizon, is an American multinational telecommunications conglomerate and a corporate component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is headquartered at 1095 Avenue of the Americas in ...

to offer services through the

public switched telephone network The public switched telephone network (PSTN) provides Communications infrastructure, infrastructure and services for public Telecommunications, telecommunication. The PSTN is the aggregate of the world's circuit-switched telephone networks that ...

. The company operates independently as a privately held provider, serving the midwestern United States. 123NET is known for its data centers located in Southfield and

Grand Rapids Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the second most-populated city in the state after Detroit. Grand Rapids is the ...

(referred to as DC1–DC4) as well as its extensive

wireless Wireless communication (or just wireless, when the context allows) is the transfer of information between two or more points without the use of an electrical conductor, optical fiber or other continuous guided medium for the transfer. The most ...

and

fiber-optic An optical fiber, or optical fibre in Commonwealth English, is a flexible, transparent fiber made by drawing glass (silica) or plastic to a diameter slightly thicker than that of a human hair. Optical fibers are used most often as a means t ...

network throughout

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

History

123NET was founded in 1995 as an internet service provider primarily focused on

dial-up Dial-up Internet access is a form of Internet access that uses the facilities of the public switched telephone network (PSTN) to establish a connection to an Internet service provider (ISP) by dialing a telephone number on a conventional telepho ...

connections. Over the next 25 years, the company expanded its services and client base, including the introduction of

Fiber Fiber or fibre (from la, fibra, links=no) is a natural or artificial substance that is significantly longer than it is wide. Fibers are often used in the manufacture of other materials. The strongest engineering materials often incorporate ...

Fixed Wireless Fixed wireless is the operation of wireless communication devices or systems used to connect two fixed locations (e.g., building to building or tower to building) with a radio or other wireless link, such as laser bridge. Usually, fixed wireles ...

Voice The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal tract, including talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, shouting, humming or yelling. The human voice frequency is specifically a part of human sound production in ...

, and

Data Center A data center (American English) or data centre (British English)See spelling differences. is a building, a dedicated space within a building, or a group of buildings used to house computer systems and associated components, such as telecommunic ...

solutions for businesses. In 2021, 123NET initiated a pilot program to offer residential

fiber internet Fiber-optic communication is a method of transmitting information from one place to another by sending pulses of infrared light through an optical fiber. The light is a form of carrier wave that is modulated to carry information. Fiber is pref ...

services in Farmington Hills, MI. 123NET residential offerings in Multi-Dwelling Units and other neighborhoods in Michigan. They currently have residential presence in Detroit, Farmington Hills, Grand Rapids, Madison Heights, New Baltimore, Novi, Saline, and Midland.

Timeline

Here is a timeline of significant milestones in 123NET's history: * 1995: Internet123 was founded. * 1998: Purchased ownership stake in Telnet Worldwide. * 2001: Started offering Data Center services at 24700 Northwestern Hwy, Southfield MI. * 2002: Installed and activated the Telica Phone Switch. * 2006: Established headquarters at 24275 Northwestern Hwy, Southfield MI. * 2007: Connected the first customer with Fiber. * 2008: Expanded Data Center services at 24245 Northwestern Hwy, Southfield MI. * 2009: Started offering Fixed Wireless services. * 2010: Officially named 123NET, Inc. * 2010: Acquired West Michigan assets, establishing 123NET's West Michigan Data Center. * 2011: Completed configuration and construction of the first Hot-Aisle Cold-Aisle Containment System at 24245 Northwestern Hwy, Southfield MI. * 2013: Purchased 24700 Northwestern Hwy, Southfield MI as headquarters and Data Center space. * 2014: Founded the Detroit Internet Exchange (DET-iX). * 2015: Reached the milestone of employing 100 individuals. * 2018: Opened Novi Fiber Yard for Fiber Crews and Equipment Storage. * 2019: Turned up a dedicated DTE Substation at 24700 Northwestern Hwy, Southfield MI. * 2021: Established DET-iX as a non-profit entity. * 2021: Connected the first residential customer in Farmington Hills, MI. * 2022: Reached the milestone of employing 250 individuals. * 2022: Added security options to its service portfolio. * 2022: Acquired dedicated Fixed Wireless frequency LMDS 29-31 GHz. * 2022: Established Public Private Partnership with Allegan County for County-Wide Broadband Project

Acquisitions

123NET has acquired the assets or purchased the networks of the following companies: * T2 Communications of Holland, MI in April 2015. * Michigan Network Services in October 2014. *MICA.Net in July 2014. * West Michigan Internet Services (WMIS) in January 2011. * 2020 Communications in February 2010 (Wireless Washtenaw, with some assets later sold to Air Advantage). * Waypoint Telecommunications and Waypoint Fiber Networks in July 2010 (Acquisition of fiber assets). * Zing Networks (Acquisition of wireless assets in September 2009).

The Detroit Internet Exchange & Grand Rapids Internet Exchange

In 2014, 123NET launched the Detroit Internet Exchange (DET-iX) to help establish peering local and regional

Internet service providers An Internet service provider (ISP) is an organization that provides services for accessing, using, or participating in the Internet. ISPs can be organized in various forms, such as commercial, community-owned, non-profit, or otherwise privatel ...

. As of August 2023, it has over 80 peering partners including

Apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple fruit tree, trees are agriculture, cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, wh ...

Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washing ...

T-Mobile T-Mobile is the brand name used by some of the mobile communications subsidiaries of the German telecommunications company Deutsche Telekom AG in the Czech Republic (T-Mobile Czech Republic), Poland (T-Mobile Polska), the United States (T-Mobile ...

, and many more content providers within Michigan and the nation. In 2021, the DET-iX gained Nonprofit 501(c)(6) status. The Grand Rapids Internet Exchange was established in June 2023 that operates as a Not for profit. It is located at 123NET's Byron Center Data Center.

Leadership

Dan Irvin - Founder, CEO, President
Chuck Irvin - Vice President
James Kandler - COO
Ryan Duda - CTO
Stefania Stoenica - CFO

References

{{reflist

External links

123NET Website
Telecommunications companies established in 1995 Telecommunications companies of the United States Companies based in Southfield, Michigan 1995 establishments in Michigan American companies established in 1995 Internet service providers Technology companies established in 1995 Telecommunication services