Current and Updated Things Happening:
(Update 4 June) A DRAFT Request for Proposal (RFP) was generated by the Towns of Blue Hill, Brooksville and Penobscot and is being circulated between all of the PUB towns for comment and potential near term processing. The goal in the release the RFP to obtain responses for a network build for Fiber to the Premise (FTTP) - for all residences and businesses that currently have conventional wired power and/or telephone service today.
This is a part of the effort to garner information that will help generate support for a "Plan" and to seek supplemental funding from the ConnectMaine Authority. Without a plan no town will be able to apply!
Past Information
1. A summary of activities related to the FCC's Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) (CCI Local Awardee) and the USDA RUS Reconnect #2 program (GWI the local applicant) has been discussed at meetings and Island Institute is posting some of the same information here (Island Institute).
a. The RDOF still has some time to go before we know the specific impacts to the area as CCI is still working through the award areas and to then identify what it will actually do. The map below depicts (in Green) the areas locally awarded. The map does NOT identify or depict where or what work will actually be done - nor when. CCI was awarded 1 Gbps fiber.
b. Starlink (SpaceX) is here but in Beta testing. More to come.
2. If you would like the specific RDOF results they can be found at: https://www.fcc.gov/auction/904/round-results. Please note that there are some concerns about the award with several online posts addressing the specifics of that. We are working with CCI to understand the ramifications and how it might fit into our path forward.
(Update 4 June) A DRAFT Request for Proposal (RFP) was generated by the Towns of Blue Hill, Brooksville and Penobscot and is being circulated between all of the PUB towns for comment and potential near term processing. The goal in the release the RFP to obtain responses for a network build for Fiber to the Premise (FTTP) - for all residences and businesses that currently have conventional wired power and/or telephone service today.
This is a part of the effort to garner information that will help generate support for a "Plan" and to seek supplemental funding from the ConnectMaine Authority. Without a plan no town will be able to apply!
Past Information
1. A summary of activities related to the FCC's Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) (CCI Local Awardee) and the USDA RUS Reconnect #2 program (GWI the local applicant) has been discussed at meetings and Island Institute is posting some of the same information here (Island Institute).
a. The RDOF still has some time to go before we know the specific impacts to the area as CCI is still working through the award areas and to then identify what it will actually do. The map below depicts (in Green) the areas locally awarded. The map does NOT identify or depict where or what work will actually be done - nor when. CCI was awarded 1 Gbps fiber.
b. Starlink (SpaceX) is here but in Beta testing. More to come.
2. If you would like the specific RDOF results they can be found at: https://www.fcc.gov/auction/904/round-results. Please note that there are some concerns about the award with several online posts addressing the specifics of that. We are working with CCI to understand the ramifications and how it might fit into our path forward.
