The Maine Connectivity Authority (MCA) continues to make steady inroads bridging the state’s long standing digital divide on the back of federal grants and a public private-partnership between Lincoln County and Consolidated Communications (Fidum Fiber).

In January, Fidium announced it was beginning construction on the project, which should bring fiber connectivity to 8,300 homes and businesses.

The first phase of the project aims to expand fiber to the towns of Wiscasset, Whitefield, and Edgecomb, as well as parts of Alna and Westport Island. Partial Route 1 closures were required due to fiber installs.

Ultimately, the partnership is also intended to bring fiber access for the first time to Alna, Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Dresden, Nobleboro, Southport, Waldoboro, and Woolwich, in neighboring Sagadahoc County.

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This project is being paid for by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, an MCA grant, and Consolidated Communications (Fidium Fiber). The funding was part of a broader $9.6 million in grant awards announced by the MCA last August, intended to bring fiber to 15,561 homes and businesses across 12 widely underserved communities in the Pine Tree state.

Lincoln County in particular saw a grant award of $6 million matched by $24.3 million in private and public investment – including county ARPA funds – which the MCA notes was the “highest percentage of financial commitment from any public-private partnership awarded through an MCA program to date.”

“We're thrilled to partner with Fidium to expand their fiber broadband network to our community,” Wiscasset Town Manager Dennis Simmons said of the opportunity.

The Maine Connectivity Authority (MCA) continues to make steady inroads bridging the state’s long standing digital divide on the back of federal grants and a public private-partnership between Lincoln County and Consolidated Communications (Fidum Fiber).

In January, Fidium announced it was beginning construction on the project, which should bring fiber connectivity to 8,300 homes and businesses.

The first phase of the project aims to expand fiber to the towns of Wiscasset, Whitefield, and Edgecomb, as well as parts of Alna and Westport Island. Partial Route 1 closures were required due to fiber installs.

Ultimately, the partnership is also intended to bring fiber access for the first time to Alna, Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Dresden, Nobleboro, Southport, Waldoboro, and Woolwich, in neighboring Sagadahoc County.

Image

This project is being paid for by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, an MCA grant, and Consolidated Communications (Fidium Fiber). The funding was part of a broader $9.6 million in grant awards announced by the MCA last August, intended to bring fiber to 15,561 homes and businesses across 12 widely underserved communities in the Pine Tree state.

Lincoln County in particular saw a grant award of $6 million matched by $24.3 million in private and public investment – including county ARPA funds – which the MCA notes was the “highest percentage of financial commitment from any public-private partnership awarded through an MCA program to date.”

“We're thrilled to partner with Fidium to expand their fiber broadband network to our community,” Wiscasset Town Manager Dennis Simmons said of the opportunity.

The Maine Connectivity Authority (MCA) continues to make steady inroads bridging the state’s long standing digital divide on the back of federal grants and a public private-partnership between Lincoln County and Consolidated Communications (Fidum Fiber).

In January, Fidium announced it was beginning construction on the project, which should bring fiber connectivity to 8,300 homes and businesses.

The first phase of the project aims to expand fiber to the towns of Wiscasset, Whitefield, and Edgecomb, as well as parts of Alna and Westport Island. Partial Route 1 closures were required due to fiber installs.

Ultimately, the partnership is also intended to bring fiber access for the first time to Alna, Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Dresden, Nobleboro, Southport, Waldoboro, and Woolwich, in neighboring Sagadahoc County.

Image

This project is being paid for by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, an MCA grant, and Consolidated Communications (Fidium Fiber). The funding was part of a broader $9.6 million in grant awards announced by the MCA last August, intended to bring fiber to 15,561 homes and businesses across 12 widely underserved communities in the Pine Tree state.

Lincoln County in particular saw a grant award of $6 million matched by $24.3 million in private and public investment – including county ARPA funds – which the MCA notes was the “highest percentage of financial commitment from any public-private partnership awarded through an MCA program to date.”

“We're thrilled to partner with Fidium to expand their fiber broadband network to our community,” Wiscasset Town Manager Dennis Simmons said of the opportunity.

The Maine Connectivity Authority (MCA) continues to make steady inroads bridging the state’s long standing digital divide on the back of federal grants and a public private-partnership between Lincoln County and Consolidated Communications (Fidum Fiber).

In January, Fidium announced it was beginning construction on the project, which should bring fiber connectivity to 8,300 homes and businesses.

The first phase of the project aims to expand fiber to the towns of Wiscasset, Whitefield, and Edgecomb, as well as parts of Alna and Westport Island. Partial Route 1 closures were required due to fiber installs.

Ultimately, the partnership is also intended to bring fiber access for the first time to Alna, Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Dresden, Nobleboro, Southport, Waldoboro, and Woolwich, in neighboring Sagadahoc County.

Image

This project is being paid for by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, an MCA grant, and Consolidated Communications (Fidium Fiber). The funding was part of a broader $9.6 million in grant awards announced by the MCA last August, intended to bring fiber to 15,561 homes and businesses across 12 widely underserved communities in the Pine Tree state.

Lincoln County in particular saw a grant award of $6 million matched by $24.3 million in private and public investment – including county ARPA funds – which the MCA notes was the “highest percentage of financial commitment from any public-private partnership awarded through an MCA program to date.”

“We're thrilled to partner with Fidium to expand their fiber broadband network to our community,” Wiscasset Town Manager Dennis Simmons said of the opportunity.

The Maine Connectivity Authority (MCA) continues to make steady inroads bridging the state’s long standing digital divide on the back of federal grants and a public private-partnership between Lincoln County and Consolidated Communications (Fidum Fiber).

In January, Fidium announced it was beginning construction on the project, which should bring fiber connectivity to 8,300 homes and businesses.

The first phase of the project aims to expand fiber to the towns of Wiscasset, Whitefield, and Edgecomb, as well as parts of Alna and Westport Island. Partial Route 1 closures were required due to fiber installs.

Ultimately, the partnership is also intended to bring fiber access for the first time to Alna, Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Dresden, Nobleboro, Southport, Waldoboro, and Woolwich, in neighboring Sagadahoc County.

Image

This project is being paid for by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, an MCA grant, and Consolidated Communications (Fidium Fiber). The funding was part of a broader $9.6 million in grant awards announced by the MCA last August, intended to bring fiber to 15,561 homes and businesses across 12 widely underserved communities in the Pine Tree state.

Lincoln County in particular saw a grant award of $6 million matched by $24.3 million in private and public investment – including county ARPA funds – which the MCA notes was the “highest percentage of financial commitment from any public-private partnership awarded through an MCA program to date.”

“We're thrilled to partner with Fidium to expand their fiber broadband network to our community,” Wiscasset Town Manager Dennis Simmons said of the opportunity.

The Maine Connectivity Authority (MCA) continues to make steady inroads bridging the state’s long standing digital divide on the back of federal grants and a public private-partnership between Lincoln County and Consolidated Communications (Fidum Fiber).

In January, Fidium announced it was beginning construction on the project, which should bring fiber connectivity to 8,300 homes and businesses.

The first phase of the project aims to expand fiber to the towns of Wiscasset, Whitefield, and Edgecomb, as well as parts of Alna and Westport Island. Partial Route 1 closures were required due to fiber installs.

Ultimately, the partnership is also intended to bring fiber access for the first time to Alna, Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Dresden, Nobleboro, Southport, Waldoboro, and Woolwich, in neighboring Sagadahoc County.

Image

This project is being paid for by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, an MCA grant, and Consolidated Communications (Fidium Fiber). The funding was part of a broader $9.6 million in grant awards announced by the MCA last August, intended to bring fiber to 15,561 homes and businesses across 12 widely underserved communities in the Pine Tree state.

Lincoln County in particular saw a grant award of $6 million matched by $24.3 million in private and public investment – including county ARPA funds – which the MCA notes was the “highest percentage of financial commitment from any public-private partnership awarded through an MCA program to date.”

“We're thrilled to partner with Fidium to expand their fiber broadband network to our community,” Wiscasset Town Manager Dennis Simmons said of the opportunity.

The Maine Connectivity Authority (MCA) continues to make steady inroads bridging the state’s long standing digital divide on the back of federal grants and a public private-partnership between Lincoln County and Consolidated Communications (Fidum Fiber).

In January, Fidium announced it was beginning construction on the project, which should bring fiber connectivity to 8,300 homes and businesses.

The first phase of the project aims to expand fiber to the towns of Wiscasset, Whitefield, and Edgecomb, as well as parts of Alna and Westport Island. Partial Route 1 closures were required due to fiber installs.

Ultimately, the partnership is also intended to bring fiber access for the first time to Alna, Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Dresden, Nobleboro, Southport, Waldoboro, and Woolwich, in neighboring Sagadahoc County.

Image

This project is being paid for by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, an MCA grant, and Consolidated Communications (Fidium Fiber). The funding was part of a broader $9.6 million in grant awards announced by the MCA last August, intended to bring fiber to 15,561 homes and businesses across 12 widely underserved communities in the Pine Tree state.

Lincoln County in particular saw a grant award of $6 million matched by $24.3 million in private and public investment – including county ARPA funds – which the MCA notes was the “highest percentage of financial commitment from any public-private partnership awarded through an MCA program to date.”

“We're thrilled to partner with Fidium to expand their fiber broadband network to our community,” Wiscasset Town Manager Dennis Simmons said of the opportunity.

The Maine Connectivity Authority (MCA) continues to make steady inroads bridging the state’s long standing digital divide on the back of federal grants and a public private-partnership between Lincoln County and Consolidated Communications (Fidum Fiber).

In January, Fidium announced it was beginning construction on the project, which should bring fiber connectivity to 8,300 homes and businesses.

The first phase of the project aims to expand fiber to the towns of Wiscasset, Whitefield, and Edgecomb, as well as parts of Alna and Westport Island. Partial Route 1 closures were required due to fiber installs.

Ultimately, the partnership is also intended to bring fiber access for the first time to Alna, Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Dresden, Nobleboro, Southport, Waldoboro, and Woolwich, in neighboring Sagadahoc County.

Image

This project is being paid for by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, an MCA grant, and Consolidated Communications (Fidium Fiber). The funding was part of a broader $9.6 million in grant awards announced by the MCA last August, intended to bring fiber to 15,561 homes and businesses across 12 widely underserved communities in the Pine Tree state.

Lincoln County in particular saw a grant award of $6 million matched by $24.3 million in private and public investment – including county ARPA funds – which the MCA notes was the “highest percentage of financial commitment from any public-private partnership awarded through an MCA program to date.”

“We're thrilled to partner with Fidium to expand their fiber broadband network to our community,” Wiscasset Town Manager Dennis Simmons said of the opportunity.

Officials in Carver County Minnesota continue to make great progress expanding affordable fiber access to the county of 111,000 residents, thanks largely to their publicly-owned open access fiber network CarverLink and their partnership with Metronet.

Since its inception in 2013, Carver County has leveraged public and private collaborations and funding with the goal of making symmetrical gigabit (1 Gbps) fiber available to all locations county wide. With the looming completion of its most recent $10.5 million expansion, CarverLink Fiber Manager Randy Lehs told ISLR they’re getting very close to their ultimate goal.

The county currently has ownership and use of nearly 1,200 miles of fiber throughout Carver County and southern Minnesota connecting more than 280 last mile public and community support locations. Many of these markets have no connectivity; many others are stuck on dated, sluggish, patchy connectivity from regional monopolies.

CarverLink doesn’t provide fiber directly to residents and businesses. Instead it long-ago established a partnership with Metronet (formerly Jaguar Communications), to provide gigabit fiber service to businesses and local residential households. Winner of PCMag's “Fastest Major ISP for 2023” award, Metronet provides multi-gigabit fiber to 300+ communities across 17 states.

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“CarverLink also oversees the availability of dark fiber within our network that is available to qualified service providers or other entities using dark fiber for new opportunities–open access, open interconnect fiber,” Lehs said.  “And through our open access fiber, services are also available from Broadband-MN and Arvig.”

Officials in Carver County Minnesota continue to make great progress expanding affordable fiber access to the county of 111,000 residents, thanks largely to their publicly-owned open access fiber network CarverLink and their partnership with Metronet.

Since its inception in 2013, Carver County has leveraged public and private collaborations and funding with the goal of making symmetrical gigabit (1 Gbps) fiber available to all locations county wide. With the looming completion of its most recent $10.5 million expansion, CarverLink Fiber Manager Randy Lehs told ISLR they’re getting very close to their ultimate goal.

The county currently has ownership and use of nearly 1,200 miles of fiber throughout Carver County and southern Minnesota connecting more than 280 last mile public and community support locations. Many of these markets have no connectivity; many others are stuck on dated, sluggish, patchy connectivity from regional monopolies.

CarverLink doesn’t provide fiber directly to residents and businesses. Instead it long-ago established a partnership with Metronet (formerly Jaguar Communications), to provide gigabit fiber service to businesses and local residential households. Winner of PCMag's “Fastest Major ISP for 2023” award, Metronet provides multi-gigabit fiber to 300+ communities across 17 states.

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“CarverLink also oversees the availability of dark fiber within our network that is available to qualified service providers or other entities using dark fiber for new opportunities–open access, open interconnect fiber,” Lehs said.  “And through our open access fiber, services are also available from Broadband-MN and Arvig.”