PORTLAND, Maine (July 10, 2012) – FairPoint Communications has completed work to expand broadband communications services into the unserved areas of Georgetown, and high-speed Internet is available for the first time to eligible customers.
Georgetown residents will have the opportunity to sign up for service at a July 12 kickoff event, from 4 to 6 p.m., at the Georgetown Historical Society, 20 Bay Point Road in Georgetown. Refreshments will be served and raffle prizes will be available.
More than 500 residents and businesses in Georgetown – who did not previously have broadband service – now have access to high-speed Internet.� These residents are able to quickly e-mail photos, download large documents, utilize video conferencing and surf the Internet.
FairPoint received a grant through the ConnectME Authority for approximately 70 percent of the project which cost of $355,000. FairPoint was responsible for the remaining amount of $106,500.
“FairPoint has invested more than $179 million in northern New England to expand broadband availability since 2008. However, delivering broadband to high-cost, hard-to-serve areas is a challenge,” said Mike Reed, FairPoint’s Maine state president.� “We understand how important access to broadband is to the residents and businesses in the state and this demonstrates our continued commitment to support economic growth in Maine.”
Local residents and businesses are pleased with the news that they now have access to high-speed Internet. “We are thrilled that FairPoint has completed the work to expand broadband to areas of town that didn’t have access,” said Peggy Kapisovsky, co-founder of a Georgetown citizens group established to expand broadband availability to the entire town. The group generated extensive community support for the ConnectME grant. “It has taken significant effort by many people to reach this point and we are excited about FairPoint’s launch of broadband service.”
High-speed connection areas include portions of the following roads in Georgetown: Back River, Ballfield, Bay, Bay Point, Bayberry, Chapel, Christopher, Cove, End, Five Islands, Foremother’s, Hagan Cove, Indian Point, Keen, Kennebec Point, Knubble, Ledgemere, Lewis, Little Sheepscot, Loop, Moore’s, Narrow’s, Newagen, Ocean, Old Schoolhouse, Piccadilly Circus, Promontory, Robinhood, Saddler’s Cove, School House, Seguinland, Skitwarroe’s, Town Landing, Webber, White and White’s Cove
The ConnectME Authority was created in 2006 by the Maine Legislature to facilitate broadband availability throughout the state at affordable rates to Maine citizens.� Grant applications are judged based on a number of criteria, including the projected percentage of households that would be served; the level of public-private partnerships created; the level of community support for the projects; and the financial viability of the projects.
FairPoint Communications, Inc. (NasdaqCM: FRP) is a leading communications provider of Broadband Internet access, local and long-distance phone, television and other Broadband services to customers in communities across 18 states. Through its fast, reliable network, FairPoint delivers affordable data and voice networking communications solutions to residential, business and wholesale customers. FairPoint delivers VantagePointSM services through its resilient IP-based network in northern New England. This state-of-the-art network provides Ethernet connections that support video conferencing, e-learning and other broadband based applications. Additional information about FairPoint products and services is available at www.FairPoint.com. You can also connect with FairPoint on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/myfairpoint) and Facebook
PR Archives: Latest, By Company, By Date