FirstLight to bring fiber broadband to rural Maine communities with federal funding
(UI) – FirstLight has received federal funding through the Maine Connectivity Authority (MCA) and the Partnerships Enabling Middle Mile Program to build fiber in the remainder of its Maine-based Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier (ILEC) territory over a five-year period.
FirstLight’s Maine ILEC encompasses parts of Western Maine, including Albany Township, Andover, Bethel, Bryant Pond, Buckfield, Canton, Hartford, Hebron, Locke Mills, Mason Township, Minot, Newry, North Norway, North Turner, Roxbury Pond, Sumner, Turner, Upton, West Bethel, West Paris, and Woodstock.
FirstLight currently has nearly 4,000 fiber route miles in Maine and continues to expand its network. Its fiber network connects to the cable landing station in Halifax, Nova Scotia and traverses a unique route through the state and into Boston, Mass.
The Partnerships Enabling Middle Mile (PEMM) Program is funded by the American Rescue Plan Capital Projects Funds and addresses large-scale, regional broadband needs by leveraging middle mile infrastructure and maximizing private and community financial contributions to enable last-mile connections.
FirstLight submitted a funding application earlier this year to help offset the cost of building fiber in its Maine residential ILEC territory. This is the second round of funding from the MCA. FirstLight partnered with the Mahoosuc Broadband Committee and the Town of Minot in its application process.
FirstLight serves some of Maine’s largest educational, healthcare, government, and financial services institutions, as well as manufacturers and small businesses, providing low latency, symmetrical broadband. It also offers cloud, data center, and cybersecurity solutions to a growing number of Maine organizations.
“This is great news for the residents of these communities that currently don’t have access to the infrastructure necessary to take advantage of modern communications, telehealth, online education, and entertainment amenities. Reliable broadband is increasingly considered a necessary component in defining a livable community,” said Patrick Coughlin, FirstLight Chief Development Officer.
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