The Blue Hill Peninsula is a Winner!
"Consolidated Communications to Deliver Fidium Fiber Internet to 22,000 Rural Maine Homes and Businesses through Connect Maine Partnership $18.3 million NTIA grant enables public private partnership to deliver gigabit fiber to Rangeley Lakes Region, the Blue Hill Peninsula and the Farmington area..."
(see press release) Peninsula Beneficiaries: All of Blue Hill, Brooklin, Brooksville, Castine, Deer Isle, Penobscot, Sedgwick and Stonington
Important Information (Update April 11th):
1. Construction starts early Summer 2022 with Completion (Goal) the end of 2022!
a. Engineering has started and construction will begin in June/July.
b. Progress updates are available on www.fidiumfiber.com by signing up on your town's own progress page.
i. Submit your email and address for updates, including "pre-sign up" and "sign-up" availability when the work is significantly completed.
ii. Town maps will appear on the page when they are ready to post.
2. Locations with current CCI connections (or past service) with utility pole or conduit to premise paths will be connected at no cost. That includes other communications paths (i.e. Spectrum).
a. If a premise is determined to have no communication connection or path, one may have to be created.
i. Property owners should WAIT to do anything until service is available. CCI engineering will confirm the need and requirements.
b. Please do not call the engineering staff! They are working to get this started and completed.
c. Pricing is shown on the Fidium site and the Q&A Page.
"Consolidated Communications to Deliver Fidium Fiber Internet to 22,000 Rural Maine Homes and Businesses through Connect Maine Partnership $18.3 million NTIA grant enables public private partnership to deliver gigabit fiber to Rangeley Lakes Region, the Blue Hill Peninsula and the Farmington area..."
(see press release) Peninsula Beneficiaries: All of Blue Hill, Brooklin, Brooksville, Castine, Deer Isle, Penobscot, Sedgwick and Stonington
Important Information (Update April 11th):
1. Construction starts early Summer 2022 with Completion (Goal) the end of 2022!
a. Engineering has started and construction will begin in June/July.
b. Progress updates are available on www.fidiumfiber.com by signing up on your town's own progress page.
i. Submit your email and address for updates, including "pre-sign up" and "sign-up" availability when the work is significantly completed.
ii. Town maps will appear on the page when they are ready to post.
2. Locations with current CCI connections (or past service) with utility pole or conduit to premise paths will be connected at no cost. That includes other communications paths (i.e. Spectrum).
a. If a premise is determined to have no communication connection or path, one may have to be created.
i. Property owners should WAIT to do anything until service is available. CCI engineering will confirm the need and requirements.
b. Please do not call the engineering staff! They are working to get this started and completed.
c. Pricing is shown on the Fidium site and the Q&A Page.
How did we get here?
Listen to the Interview here: Maine Broadband Coalition Initiatives Across Maine
Listen to the Interview here: Maine Broadband Coalition Initiatives Across Maine
National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) AWARD
ConnectMaine is awarded funds from the NTIA to help provide Fiber to the Premise (FTTP) for the Blue Hill Peninsula. The combination of funding from NTIA, CCI’s prior FCC RDOF award, and CCI's own financial contribution, makes this possible. ConnectMaine submitted an application on August 17th for part of the NTIA funds set aside for Broadband ($288 Million). The application process occurred concurrently with the 4-Town RFP process and ConnectMaine chose CCI (www.fidiumfiber.com) as the Internet Service Provider (ISP) for area. The award was announced February 25th 2022 and requires no funding from the communities it will serve. It technically meets and geographically exceeds the 4-Town Joint Report's goals. Only 13 applications of 230 received were awarded.
Blue Hill, Brooksville, Deer Isle and Penobscot (The Towns) released a Request for Proposal (RFP) on July 9th 2021, receiving proposals from six (6) Respondents. The 4-Town Joint Status Report and Process Review was released January 7th.
The RFP and Joint Status Report outline the following baseline for service:
ConnectMaine is awarded funds from the NTIA to help provide Fiber to the Premise (FTTP) for the Blue Hill Peninsula. The combination of funding from NTIA, CCI’s prior FCC RDOF award, and CCI's own financial contribution, makes this possible. ConnectMaine submitted an application on August 17th for part of the NTIA funds set aside for Broadband ($288 Million). The application process occurred concurrently with the 4-Town RFP process and ConnectMaine chose CCI (www.fidiumfiber.com) as the Internet Service Provider (ISP) for area. The award was announced February 25th 2022 and requires no funding from the communities it will serve. It technically meets and geographically exceeds the 4-Town Joint Report's goals. Only 13 applications of 230 received were awarded.
Blue Hill, Brooksville, Deer Isle and Penobscot (The Towns) released a Request for Proposal (RFP) on July 9th 2021, receiving proposals from six (6) Respondents. The 4-Town Joint Status Report and Process Review was released January 7th.
The RFP and Joint Status Report outline the following baseline for service:
- Full Fiber Optic Network: Fiber to the Premise (FTTP)
- Ubiquitous: Available to any location currently served by grid-connected electricity and/or wireline telephone
- Available capacity of 1000 Mbps (1 Gbps) Upload and Download [equivalency] or greater
- Symmetrical service (i.e., 100Mbps/100Mbps)
- No data caps and no throttling of data
- Aerial (or existing available conduit) installation standard with minimal start-up/connection costs; reasonable connections and underground requirements identified and addressed as applicable
This page will be updated for any significant changes and progress.
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As Senators push for 100Mbps/100Mbps as the basis for Broadband - a capacity/speed standard set by the FCC is currently 25/3Mbps. The ConnectMaine board voted in May 2021 to change the standard for broadband service in Maine and revise its designation of Unserved areas as ones where speeds are below 50/10Mbps for download & upload. Underserved are those between 100/100Mbps and 50/10Mbps (Megabits per second = Mbps). ConnectMaine now defines Broadband as 100/100Mbps.
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Gov. Janet Mills signed into law LD 1484 which creates a new public agency - The Maine Connectivity Authority https://www.maineconnectivity.org that will invest $150 million to support broadband expansion state-wide. The new Maine Connectivity Authority has the power to borrow money, own infrastructure, negotiate contracts and provide grants to companies and communities.
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Maine is Receiving over $128 Million for Broadband From American Rescue Plan that the U.S. Treasury Department is allocating ($128 million in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to expand Maine broadband). Combined with the broadband funds Maine is projected to receive from the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act upon House passage – the state will receive hundreds of millions of dollars to increase affordable, high-speed broadband access statewide and narrow Maine’s digital divide.
Full Release is available here: www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/maine-receiving-over-128-million-for-broadband-from-american-rescue-plan |
| State of Maine-Statewide Broadband Action Plan 2020.pdf |