Lincoln County is more connected than ever after becoming Maine\u2019s first county with fiber internet in every municipality.<\/p>\n
Fidium Fiber celebrated the completion of its connectivity projects in 10 Lincoln County towns and neighboring Woolwich at the Wiscasset Community Center on Aug. 14.<\/p>\n
The Consolidated Communications LLC subsidiary expanded fiber network access in Waldoboro, Nobleboro, Wiscasset, Edgecomb, Alna, Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Whitefield, Dresden, Southport and Woolwich in a coordinated effort with state and local officials to address internet inequity.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re finally here,\u201d Lincoln County Commissioner Evan Goodkowsky said during the Aug. 14 event. \u201cThere\u2019s 1,000-plus households that didn\u2019t have the internet at all a year ago, and today they do.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Maine Connectivity Authority approved a $6 million broadband expansion grant for the connectivity partnership in August 2024. Consolidated Communications contributed more than $20 million to the project on top of about $1.2 million from Lincoln County\u2019s American Rescue Plan Act funds.<\/p>\n
Other municipalities in Lincoln County have built up their fiber internet access using other grants or town funds, Goodkowsky said during a phone interview on Aug. 18.<\/p>\n
Somerville and Monhegan created their own municipal networks through separate partnerships with Axiom Technologies.<\/p>\n
Through a mixture of public and private funding, Mary Ellen Barnes, Coastal Maine Regional Broadband\u2019s community digital planner, said Damariscotta, Newcastle, Jefferson, Bremen, Bristol and South Bristol received fiber network through Lincolnville Communications Inc. Goodkowsky said parts of Nobleboro and Alna also received fiber through LCI.<\/p>\n
Westport Island received some of its fiber network through Spectrum, according to Barnes. She said parts of Fidium\u2019s development reached other parts of the island.<\/p>\n
The patchwork of fiber optic development, including Fidium\u2019s effort, means Lincoln County is the first in Maine to have fiber internet in every town, Barnes said.<\/p>\n
The milestone has been years in the making. Kendra Jo Grindle, the Maine Connectivity Authority\u2019s director of community strategy, said she has been working with Fidium and county officials for \u201cthe better part of a decade\u201d to solve the issue of internet access in Lincoln County.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were lots of ups and downs, but this community of people really kept things going and kept us moving forward,\u201d said Judy Tunkle, who chairs the Dresden Broadband & Technology Committee.<\/p>\n
Compared with other forms of internet service, fiber-optic lines allow for higher bandwidth and faster internet speed. For the foreseeable future, Goodkowsky said fiber is the most advanced internet technology available.<\/p>\n
\u201c[Fiber] just gets rid of a lot of the inefficiencies of older technology and replaces it with something that is more resilient \u2014 both to time and to wear, but also to outages,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
On top of higher internet speed, connectivity is associated with higher real estate values and improved educational access, Sarah Davis, Fidium\u2019s vice president of market development, said.<\/p>\n
\u201cGenerations of residents can enjoy the beauty and quality of life afforded by this area without having to miss out on the myriad of opportunities that come with the best internet,\u201d Davis said.<\/p>\n
Despite the county\u2019s accomplishment, stable internet access remains an issue throughout Maine. There are still 24,000 Mainers without connectivity, Grindle said, but Lincoln County\u2019s collaboration with Fidium is one example of closing the connectivity gap.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m really excited for what this means for your county moving forward,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The majority of Lincoln County is now online, but Goodkowsky said it\u2019s important to note a small share of residents is still without internet, like people in off-the-grid residences.<\/p>\n
Barnes said the collective effort and passion put into the Fidium partnership will benefit the county\u2019s culture and economy for generations.<\/p>\n
\u201cLincoln County is a small county,\u201d Barnes said. \u201cWe don\u2019t have big factories, we don\u2019t have big cities, but look at what we\u2019ve accomplished.\u201d<\/p>\n
For more information, go to fidiumfiber.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n