"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 Farmington areas..."
Peninsula Beneficiaries: Blue Hill, Brooklin, Brooksville, Castine, Deer Isle, Penobscot, Sedgwick and Stonington. (see press release).
Peninsula Beneficiaries: Blue Hill, Brooklin, Brooksville, Castine, Deer Isle, Penobscot, Sedgwick and Stonington. (see press release).
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Fiber cables still to be incorporated with connection boxes and"overwrapped" to existing lines - Parker Point Rd, Blue Hill.
The lower cable - CCI's copper phone, DSL and Fiber service.
The Spectrum (CATV) cable above is noted by “droops” adjacent to utility poles.
The lower cable - CCI's copper phone, DSL and Fiber service.
The Spectrum (CATV) cable above is noted by “droops” adjacent to utility poles.
Updated 21 March 2023 (next CCI meeting - April 14th)
Update for Undersea Cable: The Undersea Cable from Castine to support Brooksville and a small portion of Penobscot is going to be laid and completed between 1- 15 April with subscriber connection availability soon after.
The Network build in Blue Hill is complete with some road connection services continuing. Other areas on the Peninsula will start to be "Turned ON" soon!
In Blue Hill and other Peninsula towns (if applicable), some past phone providers buried phone lines without conduit. CCI by code, (i.e, some apartments or other similar locations), has to use conduit, so there will be a delay in that last connection for fiber until the ground allows conduit to be buried.
For Deer Isle, Brooklin & Sedgwick specifically, equipment for the Central Offices/Hubs has delayed network completion and they are still hoping to do that by the end of March - for at least Brooklin. Penobscot has splicing continuing but may also have Office equipment delays, but it's still 11 March. We will getting updates as work progresses and a specific follow-up meeting towards the end of March.
Please note that the technicians working on the roads do NOT have the most current information. Do not! Flaggers even less. Hint.....
Other locations: Once the network is complete and tested, and your area is available, those who pre-ordered will get email notification. Then you will be able to sign-up for actual service.
A very small portion of western Penobscot and a larger in Brooksville need an undersea cable connection to the Castine.
See Update above (Note & Graphic below). CCI has been working to reduce the timeline, impacted by barge availability and frozen ground - with success!
Update for Undersea Cable: The Undersea Cable from Castine to support Brooksville and a small portion of Penobscot is going to be laid and completed between 1- 15 April with subscriber connection availability soon after.
The Network build in Blue Hill is complete with some road connection services continuing. Other areas on the Peninsula will start to be "Turned ON" soon!
In Blue Hill and other Peninsula towns (if applicable), some past phone providers buried phone lines without conduit. CCI by code, (i.e, some apartments or other similar locations), has to use conduit, so there will be a delay in that last connection for fiber until the ground allows conduit to be buried.
For Deer Isle, Brooklin & Sedgwick specifically, equipment for the Central Offices/Hubs has delayed network completion and they are still hoping to do that by the end of March - for at least Brooklin. Penobscot has splicing continuing but may also have Office equipment delays, but it's still 11 March. We will getting updates as work progresses and a specific follow-up meeting towards the end of March.
Please note that the technicians working on the roads do NOT have the most current information. Do not! Flaggers even less. Hint.....
Other locations: Once the network is complete and tested, and your area is available, those who pre-ordered will get email notification. Then you will be able to sign-up for actual service.
A very small portion of western Penobscot and a larger in Brooksville need an undersea cable connection to the Castine.
See Update above (Note & Graphic below). CCI has been working to reduce the timeline, impacted by barge availability and frozen ground - with success!
Areas impacted by Undersea Cable circled in red. No others impacted!
- FDH 6 (orange)
- FDH 7 (green)
- FDH 8 (purple)
- FDH 9 (blue)
Digital Equity with Fiber Internet, a "Technical" What’s Happening
- Fidium and their subcontractors are overwrapping fiber cable with existing CCI lines to build the base network for the Fiber to the Premise (FTTP)
- Once installed, technicians splice cables and concurrently the CCI Central Offices (CO) and/or HUBS are upgraded to support the Fiber Network.
- The network is tested and the system verified. Only then will connections to the Premise be possible.
- Following verification, communication to those pre-ordering and some existing CCI customers will be contacted via email and then will be able to subscribe and set up installations.
- A one-mile undersea cable will be installed from Castine to Brooksville between 1-15 April (Updated), affecting Brooksville and a small portion of Penobscot. ALL land work will have been completed.
- PREORDER Online! Has been available since last summer.
For additional information to supplement what is found here: https://www.fidiumfiber.com/Support/getting-started/getting-ready-for-your-installation
When you get “Turned on” for service and you get an installation date, several installers may come to a property. Sometimes, if an element is not completed, especially 1. for newly built areas like the Peninsula (i.e., long connections), your service connection day might slide.
1. Fiber down a road or long driveway to the last pole. Resident does not need to be there.
2. Fiber in a new or existing conduit to the outside of the house and then ready for the installers (or last pole to the house exterior). Resident does not need to be there.
3. Actual Installation date - when the resident will need to be there.
When you receive a scheduling email or log in with your address and scheduling is available (no longer a pre-order note):
1. If you have existing CCI service you MUST signup by calling to schedule the installation and coordinate your existing and new service.
2. If you do NOT have existing service you may signup ONLINE as there is no coordination of service.
It may take varying times to get connected - depending on how many are seeking the initial service.
Note: If you have an issue with your address when trying to preregister, please contact one of your town reps to address that with CCI, or we will provide you with a specific contact. E-mail works best. Please provide your Name and Full Address!
IMPORTANT: Locations with current CCI connections (or past service) will be connected at no cost.
1. If a premise is determined to have no communication connection or path, one may have to be created (i.e., conduit under or over the ground).
2. Pricing is shown on the Q&A Page of this site and the Fidium Fiber site will have the latest (we expect NO CHANGES! - One has actually gone down!)
3. What can you do now? ake sure that the wiring on the utility poles on your property are not cluttered with tree branches. This will make it easier for the contractors to add additional cabling and prevent impacts in the future caused by trees growing up or out into the wiring.
When you get “Turned on” for service and you get an installation date, several installers may come to a property. Sometimes, if an element is not completed, especially 1. for newly built areas like the Peninsula (i.e., long connections), your service connection day might slide.
1. Fiber down a road or long driveway to the last pole. Resident does not need to be there.
2. Fiber in a new or existing conduit to the outside of the house and then ready for the installers (or last pole to the house exterior). Resident does not need to be there.
3. Actual Installation date - when the resident will need to be there.
When you receive a scheduling email or log in with your address and scheduling is available (no longer a pre-order note):
1. If you have existing CCI service you MUST signup by calling to schedule the installation and coordinate your existing and new service.
2. If you do NOT have existing service you may signup ONLINE as there is no coordination of service.
It may take varying times to get connected - depending on how many are seeking the initial service.
Note: If you have an issue with your address when trying to preregister, please contact one of your town reps to address that with CCI, or we will provide you with a specific contact. E-mail works best. Please provide your Name and Full Address!
IMPORTANT: Locations with current CCI connections (or past service) will be connected at no cost.
1. If a premise is determined to have no communication connection or path, one may have to be created (i.e., conduit under or over the ground).
2. Pricing is shown on the Q&A Page of this site and the Fidium Fiber site will have the latest (we expect NO CHANGES! - One has actually gone down!)
3. What can you do now? ake sure that the wiring on the utility poles on your property are not cluttered with tree branches. This will make it easier for the contractors to add additional cabling and prevent impacts in the future caused by trees growing up or out into the wiring.
Fidium Fiber Connection for the "last pole" to the house
What to do:
b. You can proactively understand what you have or don’t have to the premise and be thoughtfully prepared. i.e. how far is it to the premise, is there conduit, or do you assume there is not (i.e. you can’t see any conduit that is in use).
4. IMPORTANT: Fidium (CCI) can, depending on the situation but not guaranteed, connect you when the ground is frozen by laying the fiber on the ground to the house or in conduit, supplied by you, that can be laid on the ground till it is buried by you when the ground is ready!
Note: This is commonly done for generators when installed in the winter, as needed.
Conduit Requirements:
What to do:
- If you have a utility pole to the house direct connection – you do nothing.
- If you have phone or Spectrum via conduit – you do nothing as long as there is space enough in the conduit to accommodate another cable.
- If you have direct buried phone or Spectrum – you can do nothing OR
b. You can proactively understand what you have or don’t have to the premise and be thoughtfully prepared. i.e. how far is it to the premise, is there conduit, or do you assume there is not (i.e. you can’t see any conduit that is in use).
4. IMPORTANT: Fidium (CCI) can, depending on the situation but not guaranteed, connect you when the ground is frozen by laying the fiber on the ground to the house or in conduit, supplied by you, that can be laid on the ground till it is buried by you when the ground is ready!
Note: This is commonly done for generators when installed in the winter, as needed.
Conduit Requirements:
- How big should the conduit be? 1 inch minimum with 1.5 - 2 inch ideal. 3 inches is overkill for one fiber line!
- No 90-degree bends – Sweeps (soft curves) only at each end!
- Do you need to preload it with a pull tape to pull the fiber through? No, but if Fidium (CCI) cannot get the fiber or a pull string through the conduit, then the subscriber will be responsible for providing the pull string within that conduit. Better to put it in at time of install.
- If you need to transit a driveway and the ground is frozen, place the conduit across (smaller dia. 1-1.5 inch is ideal) the road and cover with dirt to the degree that the rise needed is met and the conduit covered. Then wet the ground will freeze it in place (no speed bumps for the plows please) and mark so you know where it is! OR prep a depression in a dirt driveway that has minimal impact to plowing or potential bend (radius) of the conduit. If not needed later it can be filled in.
How did we get here? Listen to: 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:
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:
- 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
OTHERS
| State of Maine-Statewide Broadband Action Plan 2020.pdf |