Mercury Network
Mercury Network, operating as Mercury Telecom, is a privately held Midland, Michigan-based regional ISP founded in 1996 that delivers fixed wireless, DSL, and fiber broadband, MercuryTel VoIP phone, and web/email/domain hosting to residential, SMB, and government customers across Michigan and Wisconsin.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersMidland, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Mercury Network does
Mercury Network, operating as Mercury Telecom, is a privately held regional telecommunications company headquartered at 2719 Ashman Street in Midland, Michigan, founded in March 1996 by Dave Sovereen, who continues to serve as President and CEO. The company delivers a bundled portfolio of connectivity services — fixed wireless, DSL, and fiber-to-the-premises broadband (residential, small business, and enterprise tiers); VoIP telephony via its MercuryTel division (residential and business, the latter paired with Cisco or Mitel hardware); and web hosting, email hosting, and domain registration — to residential customers, small and medium businesses, and public-sector entities across Michigan (Midland and the Flint market) and Wisconsin (Manitowoc-area operations). MercuryTel voice traffic is carried on local phone switches over a private regional network rather than the public internet, and the fixed wireless network advertises typical latency below 20 ms with packet loss under 0.1% behind a stateful packet-inspection firewall.
Underlying infrastructure is conventional ISP/hosting architecture — fixed-wireless customer-premises equipment, fiber drops, a multi-PBX in-house voice platform, and a WebsiteOS/cPanel hosting environment — with no proprietary AI/ML or research outputs disclosed. The company has grown through a combination of organic build-out and a single customer-base acquisition (LakeShore OnLine, Manitowoc WI, summer 2004), and shed its Wisconsin wireless subscribers to Bertram Communications in 2016.
Mercury monetizes entirely through recurring monthly subscriptions: residential VoIP at a flat $25/month (unlimited U.S./Canada calling), static IP at $10/month, enterprise fiber and business phone at custom fixed monthly rates including hardware rental, and web/email hosting at varying tier prices. Multi-year term discounts (20–30%) are offered to 501(c)(3) non-profits. The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer plus sales-led: an inbound phone hotline (888-866-4638), the mercury.net website, an outside B2B field-sales team targeting the Flint commercial market, a referral rewards program, and a community-engagement presence via the Midland Area Chamber of Commerce. Customer support, installation, and repair are handled by in-house local technicians — the operational backbone that defines Mercury's competitive position against national VoIP and broadband providers.
Mercury Network firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Mercury Network
- Legal name
- Mercury Telecom
- Website
- https://mercury.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Mercury Network, operating as Mercury Telecom, is a privately held Midland, Michigan-based regional ISP founded in 1996 that delivers fixed wireless, DSL, and fiber broadband, MercuryTel VoIP phone, and web/email/domain hosting to residential, SMB, and government customers across Michigan and Wisconsin.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Mercury Network industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Telecommunications Services
- NAICS
- Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (51711)
- SIC
- Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Municipal & Community Broadband Networks (HDAIACAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Fiber ISPs (FTTH/FTTP Retail Providers) (HDAIADAE), DSL/Copper-Based ISPs (xDSL Retail Providers) (HDAIADAG)
Keywords
Where Mercury Network is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Midland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Mercury Network business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Internet Service (Fixed Wireless, DSL, Fiber): Monthly subscription fees for internet access at various tiers (residential and business). Speeds and data allowances vary by plan. Fixed wireless broadband with stateful packet inspection firewall; static IP addresses available as add-on ($10/month).
- Digital Phone Services (Residential & Business VoIP): Monthly subscription for VoIP telephony. Residential flat-rate plan at $25/month includes all local and long-distance calling to USA and Canada. Business plans offered at fixed monthly rates with bundled Cisco or Mitel phones and all advanced features included. International calling generates additional charges.
- Web, Email & Domain Hosting: Monthly fees for web hosting plans (various tiers), domain registration, and email hosting services. Customers can bundle hosting with domain registration for discounts. Web hosting via WebsiteOS portal or FTP.
- Non-Profit Discounted Services: 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations receive discounted rates: 20% off wireless high-speed internet on 36-month agreement; 30% off + free equipment rental on business phone with 84-month agreement; web/email hosting discounts and $10/year domain registration savings when bundled.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Residential VoIP phone - $25/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Business Phone (MercuryTel) - Fixed monthly rate |
| Subscription | Monthly | Static IP Address - $10/month add-on |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Non-profit Wireless Internet - 20% off |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Non-profit Business Phone - 30% off + free equipment |
| Subscription | Annual | Non-profit Hosting - discounted + $10/year domain savings |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Mercury Network product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Mercury Telecom (doing business as Mercury Network) is a regional telecommunications provider delivering high-speed internet (fixed wireless, DSL, and fiber), digital VoIP phone services through its MercuryTel business phone division, and web/email/domain hosting services. The company serves both residential and business customers primarily across Michigan and Wisconsin.
Product overview
Mercury Telecom is a regional telecommunications company offering a portfolio of internet, phone, and hosting services primarily serving Michigan and Wisconsin. The company's product portfolio centers on MercuryTel, a VoIP-based business phone solution that combines digital phone services with Cisco or Mitel hardware, advanced features like voicemail-to-email and find me/follow-me, and comprehensive PhonePro support. Internet services span fixed wireless, DSL, and fiber optic technologies across residential, small business, and enterprise segments. Hosting services include web hosting with WebsiteOS management platform, domain registration, and professional email hosting with Exchange-level capabilities. Additional offerings include security system installation services and a non-profit pricing program.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- MercuryTel: Digital phone services and systems division providing VoIP phone solutions for homes and businesses. Includes business phone service with Cisco or Mitel digital phones, residential phone service, and features like voicemail to email and Find Me/Follow Me.
Products and services
- MercuryTel Business Phone Service VoIP-based business telephone solution offering digital phone services paired with Cisco or Mitel digital phones. Includes unlimited local and long-distance calling across USA and Canada, automated attendant, menus, queues, voicemail-to-email, find me/follow me, conference calling, and bundled unlimited PhonePro Support (training, service, customizations, maintenance at no extra charge). Targeted at commercial and SMB customers in Michigan and Wisconsin.
- Residential Phone Service VoIP residential telephone service using existing home phone wiring, with number portability so customers can keep their existing phone numbers. Includes all local and long-distance calling across USA and Canada for a flat monthly rate.
- Fixed Wireless Internet Fixed wireless broadband internet service using Mercury-provided Customer Premise Equipment (CPE). Latency typically below 20ms; packet loss typically below 0.1%. Includes stateful packet inspection firewall for dynamic IP customers. Serves residential and business customers in Michigan.
- DSL Internet
Quantifiable outcome
- Latency typically below 20ms; packet loss typically below 0.1%
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Mercury Network
Customer profileNamed customers20 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Mercury Network technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature5 records
Mercury Network partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Mercury Network competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bertram Communications: Manitowoc, WI-based regional telecom that took over Mercury's Wisconsin wireless broadband customers in 2016. Operates fixed wireless, fiber, and voice services in Wisconsin, making it the closest comparable operator to Mercury's Michigan footprint.
- DayStarr Communications: Michigan-based regional ISP offering fixed wireless and fiber internet plus VoIP and business services, headquartered in mid-Michigan. Comparable size, geography, and product mix (internet + voice) to Mercury.
- ACD.net: Michigan-based IT, voice, and data services provider serving SMB and enterprise customers across the state. Comparable as a Michigan-rooted multi-service telecom/IT operator competing in similar verticals.
- AcenTek: Michigan-headquartered FTTH and DSL provider with regional Michigan coverage. Comparable fiber/DSL retail ISP model and Michigan service-area overlap with Mercury.
- Air Advantage: Michigan-based rural broadband provider offering fixed wireless, fiber, and business services across underserved Michigan markets. Directly overlaps Mercury's regional fixed-wireless-plus-fiber footprint.
- Great Lakes Energy: Michigan electric cooperative that has expanded into fiber broadband, providing internet, voice, and business services across northern/western Michigan. Comparable community-anchored fiber/voice model competing for similar institutional customers.
Broad incumbents
- TDS Telecom: Multi-state regional incumbent telco offering internet, voice, and managed services across rural and suburban markets including Michigan. Larger-scale competitor serving similar SMB/institutional segments.
- Frontier Communications: National incumbent wireline telecom with significant Michigan footprint offering DSL, fiber, and voice services. Competes head-to-head with Mercury for residential, SMB, and government connectivity in overlapping markets.
- AT&T: Large incumbent telco offering mobile, fiber, DSL, and VoIP services throughout Michigan. Competes in the same residential/SMB/enterprise voice-and-internet segments from a vastly larger resource base.
- Spectrum (Charter Communications): Major US cable broadband provider operating in Michigan markets served by Mercury. Represents the primary cable-coax/migration-to-fiber competitive threat to Mercury's DSL and fixed wireless customer base.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Mercury Network social profiles
Digital presenceMercury Network financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Mercury Network leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Mercury Network funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Mercury Network M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Mercury Network
What does Mercury Network do?
Mercury Telecom (doing business as Mercury Network) is a regional telecommunications provider delivering high-speed internet (fixed wireless, DSL, and fiber), digital VoIP phone services through its MercuryTel business phone division, and web/email/domain hosting services. The company serves both residential and business customers primarily across Michigan and Wisconsin.
Is Mercury Network a public or private company?
Mercury Network is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Mercury Network founded?
Mercury Network was founded in 1996. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Mercury Network based?
Mercury Network is headquartered in Midland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Mercury Network make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Internet Service (Fixed Wireless, DSL, Fiber) is the primary driver. The others are digital Phone Services (Residential & Business VoIP), web, Email & Domain Hosting and non-Profit Discounted Services.
Who are Mercury Network's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bertram Communications, DayStarr Communications, ACD.net, AcenTek, Air Advantage and Great Lakes Energy. Broad incumbents are TDS Telecom, Frontier Communications, AT&T and Spectrum (Charter Communications).
Does Mercury Network have an API?
No public API is recorded for Mercury Network.
What industry is Mercury Network in?
Mercury Network's product category is Telecommunications Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIACAE, Municipal & Community Broadband Networks, with a secondary code of HDAIADAE, Fiber ISPs (FTTH/FTTP Retail Providers). Its NAICS code is 51711 and its SIC code is 4813.