Storm Outage 2025
While most members’ power has been restored following the March 28 ice storm, our work is far from over. We are now transitioning from the response phase to the next stage of recovery and investigation.
As part of this ongoing effort, our crews will soon begin cleaning up broken utility poles, damaged transformers, and other storm-related electric and fiber infrastructure waste. You may also notice us clearing fallen vegetation from rights-of-way in impacted areas.
This work is a critical part of our storm recovery, and we’re taking great care to ensure everything is documented properly and handled in full compliance with governmental regulations. Learn more about our recovery efforts
Restoration Nearly Complete
Crews are working on repairing and replacing terminals and service drops to the home.
Restoration Progressing
Crews are working on rehanging and repairing distribution fiber lines and replacing necessary equipment on poles.
Rebuilding Underway
Crews are working on rehanging and repairing mainline fiber lines and replacing necessary equipment on poles.
*PLEASE NOTE – This site uses a global mapping database. If your address appears in an active area but you do not have Great Lakes Energy service, your address may not be eligible for Truestream. Some locations within active areas may be delayed or deferred due to extensive construction work needed and relatively low sign-up rates.
With Truestream, you’re more than a customer, you’re a friend, and we strive to provide the best customer experience possible. We also provide the best internet possible, and fiber internet is truly a revolutionary jump from any other internet provider. Check out some of the differences you’ll notice when you switch to Truestream.
SPEED
Cable/DSL
Cable/DSL lines carry data through electrical connections, making them susceptible to weather incidents and outages.
The signal strength gets depleted the farther away your home is from the source, too, leading to inconsistent service.
Truestream
Fiber lines use light pulses to transmit data along glass lines. Because of this, they can carry data much farther than copper before needing a signal “boost” to maintain high-speed connectivity for everyone. Plus, you have a fiber line right to your home – no sharing connections with the neighbors.
DATA
Cable/DSL
Typical cable/DSL lines are slow, and download and upload speeds aren’t symmetrical.
For example, a user could get 15 Mbps download speed, but only 1 Mbps upload speed!
Truestream
Gigabit is as fast as it gets. Fiber lines can typically carry up to 1,000 Mbps, and download/upload speeds are symmetrical, meaning you can download and upload at the same speed.
FUTURE
Let’s face it – cable and DSL are technologies of the past.
As media files continue to evolve in complexity and increase in size, networks that cap out at just a few dozen Mbps will quickly go by the wayside.
Truestream
Fiber internet is often called future-proof technology. Because of its high capacity for data, fiber lines are well-suited for a data-driven future. Undersea industrial fiber cables can even transfer terabits of data!
STRINGS
Cable/DSL
Cable/DSL connections typically come with a host of hidden fees, contract terms, additional equipment charges, and more.
Truestream
With fiber internet from Truestream, you get free Wi-Fi, no data caps, and no contracts.
I have had my Truestream service for a few weeks now. I love it. What would have taken me a minimum of 4-6 hours to update my Mac took me less than an hour. It has been consistent. I would highly urge all who have the potential to get this service to do so.
Thank you so much Great Lakes Energy for Truestream. It is amazing. Your customer service is amazing and very helpful. Keep helping all of the families and households you can in the state of Michigan, they will all love it. THANK YOU!
I was cursed with satellite internet for the last 12 years. In late December, we entered the real world with Truestream. Now I even get internet in my yard. Thank you, Truestream.
Customize Your TV and Streaming Experience
Canceling your cable or satellite TV used to be a tough decision. Not anymore! Streaming gives you more control over the content you want – when and how you want it. Truestream makes finding the streaming service that best fits your needs and preferences easy!
March Construction Update
Truestream Construction Update Truestream by the Numbers Truestream Construction UpdatesTruestream construction updates and timelines are based on current registrations, which change daily, and the number of crews working. Your Truestream service district is based on...
Truestream 2025 Construction Plans
Construction Plans for 2025 Announced. Truestream construction plans for 2025 include 28 areas within the Kalkaska, Waters, Hart, and Scottville service districts, offering access to Truestream high-speed fiber internet for over 9,000 GLE members. Registration will...
Service District
Great Lakes Energy has nine service districts cover parts of 26 counties in Michigan. Service districts include Petoskey, Boyne City, Waters, Kalkaska, Scottville, Reed City, Hart, Newaygo, and Wayland. All of our GLE members are within one of our service districts, and each service district has employees that know their district like the back of their hand.
Interest
Showing or sharing your interest in Truestream is simply that – letting us know that when we are ready to build in your area, you’re ready, too.
Interest in our service is one of the factors we look at when we determine where to build next – we want to go where we are wanted and needed. Be sure to encourage your family, friends, and neighbors to share their interest in Truestream as well!
Register
If the service area is active, we ask that you complete your registration. The registration process creates a service order for your location. A lot of planning goes into building the Truestream network. When our crews are working in the area, we want to build to everyone in that area as quickly and efficiently as possible – which takes advanced planning. This is why we ask you to complete your registration and site plan by certain dates, usually before construction has even begun.
Drop
The drop is the fiber line to your location from the mainline. If your electric service is overhead to your location, your drop will likely be overhead as well.
If your electric service is underground, your drop will be as well. Underground fiber is run through orange conduit, which will be installed prior to the drop.
Lit
Once the mainline construction is done, we install the necessary network equipment and “light” up the fiber lines. Fiber lines are spliced together, and we verify those splices are working as they should before installations begin in an area. Once we know everything is working as it should, we say our network is “lit”.
Truestreamer
We think of all of our Truestream subscribers as family, and what does every good family have? Nicknames! Once you are part of the Truestream family, you officially have the nickname of Truestreamer. Wear it like a badge of honor.
Service Area
Within each service district are smaller service areas. These service areas are named after the substation that provides electricity to the area, not necessarily the city, town, or township where your home is located.
Fielding
Fielding is part of our core engineering and planning stage. We visit and map out every meter in the entire service district. That service district is then separated into smaller service areas. The information gathered during the fielding process is used to determine construction costs, necessary employee resources, and any potential issues an area may face. Based on this information, the board of directors then approves areas for construction.
