Broadband access focus of new initiatives; State, local efforts weighed

Reliable Internet access in Washington County is hit or miss, and even with a hit it can be a bumpy experience with frozen Zoom moments causing panic or mirth depending on the situation, files taking an hour or more to upload, and educators and students struggling with online learning. The pandemic accentuated just how serious the need is for fast and reliable Internet connectivity and access, with affordability also a critical issue, as the county has a high number of low-income households.
Governor Janet Mills' administration has issued "Maine Won't Wait: A Four year Plan for Climate Action," and expanding broadband is one of the cornerstones of the plan's infrastructure goals. "Expanding broadband is also a key recommendation in the state's 10 year economic strategy and was one of the top priorities identified by the governor's Economic Recovery Committee to stabilize Maine's economy against the economic damages caused by COVID 19," the plan states.
Broadband is considered critical infrastructure for multiple reasons, not least of which is the need to reduce the use of fossil fuels for commutes to work if work can be done remotely. The plan notes that one in six Americans "is expected to switch permanently to remote work for at least two days each week after the pandemic subsides, and that over 35% of U.S. companies say the practice will remain 'more common' at their company after the pandemic is over."
The pandemic saw real estate sales boom Downeast, with many early retirees moving to the region. However, not all of the new Downeasters are retirees. Many work from home full- or part time. Sussan Coley, who moved to Eastport a few years ago, works remotely for a major corporation. There are no ifs or buts about her need to have dependable and fast Internet service. She has it, but it comes at a cost. When she first set up service a few years ago she was not charged a hook up fee, but the monthly cost was just a bit over $100 a month. Now it is over $500 per month. If she wants to work from home, she explains, she has no choice but to pay that cost. She points to a couple with a home near her who were told it would cost $6,000 just to hook up their house. These are not costs that would be considered in any way affordable for Washington County's demographics.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has been involved in building fiber networks in underserved areas for years, with awards to companies that bid to build networks in what are known as census blocks. Sarah Davis, senior director of government affairs for Consolidated Communications, explains that the FCC Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, which just concluded one of its auctions, focuses on "extreme rural areas" where the cost is so high to build networks that private funding would not take on the project. The FCC program recognizes the need for a public/private funding partnership. The build out timeline for this particular auction is 2021 to 2027. Those companies that are awarded contracts by the FCC do have restrictions placed on their service pricing to customers. Davis says that, in Consolidated's case, it would use the same pricing it offers to urban areas.
Fiber-optic lines have many benefits, not least of which is their symmetrical nature when it comes to download and upload speeds. Multiple devices can be used simultaneously while streaming different content without causing speeds to slow down or jam. Fiber is more reliable and faster than cable or DSL, which is particularly important for those who work at home, for businesses and other economic development initiatives and enterprises and for online learning and telemedicine.

Consolidated's plan for fiber build out
The FCC Rural Digital Opportunity Phase I Auction #904 awarded 180 bidders $9.2 billion over 10 years to provide broadband to 5.2 million locations around the country. Included were census blocks in Maine and in Washington County. Consolidated was one of the companies to participate. The designated regions for Consolidated's fiber build out in Washington County are listed as Calais, Columbia, Eastport, Jonesport, Lubec, Machias, Milbridge, Pembroke and Princeton. However, this does not necessarily mean, for example, that the City of Eastport will actually be a part of Consolidated's fiber build out.
The FCC map of census block awards to bidding companies for the build out shows exactly where Consolidated, and other companies, will be expanding their fiber networks, with Consolidated's areas as green zone designations of "gigabit, low density." All of Eastport and most of Perry, for example, are not in a green zone. Davis explains that the reason Eastport is listed as served "is based on the fact that we serve the small census block in Perry ... out of our Eastport exchange, meaning that the wires will run from our building in Eastport out to Perry, and therefore is labeled Eastport in our exchange records."
Reviewing the FCC map, Consolidated's build out would be considered rural even by Washington County standards. In Lubec it will encompass the peninsula of Denbow Neck and the adjacent Crow's Neck area of Trescott and includes a section of Trescott south of Route 189 and a portion of South Trescott. Other sections are in Edmunds and Meddybemps; portions of Calais near the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge and Nash's Lake; portions of Charlotte near Round Pond and Pennamaquan Lake; and a section of Boyden's Lake in Perry and Robbinston. Also blocked as green zones are areas between Gardner Lake and Sunken and Rocky lakes and areas near Hadley Lake. There are additional areas near Columbia Falls, Harrington and more.
Davis explains, "The areas deemed eligible for funding were decided by the FCC," using a cost model factoring in underserved areas and financial calculations. Consolidated Communications Manager Shannon Sullivan explains that fiber will only run to certain specific areas of each community. "By no means will we be able to cover" all of a community in a designated area. However, Davis adds that there will be additional FCC auctions in the coming years, and "it is all our goal to get the service to everyone."

Building different fiber model solutions
In Eastport Sussan Coley is not sure that the best choice is waiting for an unknown day far down the road when fiber will reach everyone in the city. Fiber exists and serves the library, the health center and the school system, but fiber would need to be extended up and down the city's streets if everyone else were to have it.
To consider the options, Coley and a number of others have formed the Eastport Broadband Committee. "Our team does the research, legwork, etcetera, but under the city's auspices," she explains. Council President William "Billy" Boone is a member. "The committee is very diverse," she adds. "A lot of us are not retired, and we need to make a living." She says that people coming from other areas just assume that fiber -- or if not fiber, at least workable information technology service for a reasonable cost -- will be available.
When Coley learned about the Downeast Broadband Utility, owned by Calais, Baileyville and Alexander, that built a fiber optic network of its own, she was inspired to form a committee to see if the island city might want to look into the same kind of structure. The next step will be to create a survey to gauge community interest. She expects that the survey will take place in July. She's envisioning a set up similar to Downeast Broadband, but there are other models of public and private partnerships around the state that she says could be looked at, too. She notes that according to information she has learned from the Island Institute's broadband program, there are 36 similar projects in progress around the state and 12 successful ones up and running.
Downeast Broadband is the first and only municipal Internet broadband utility in the state of Maine. It does not offer Internet service. Instead it has built the Internet infrastructure allowing multiple Internet service providers to offer Internet, television and telephone services to the residents of Calais, Baileyville and Alexander. The utility has been approached by other neighboring communities about extending the fiber optic network so that they too can enjoy the benefits of fast and reliable access.
Consolidated is working with some communities to create public/private partnerships, one of which is Stonington. Consolidated's Sarah Davis says, "We were already in talks about expanding DSL service, and we went to the town to talk about shifting to fiber." The company could help the municipality layer funding to get fiber to most homes, she says. The town is using funding revenue from wind farms, she adds, to build out fiber in one section of the community, and Consolidated will use other sources of funding to build out most of the other areas. She expects the project to take no more than two years. The City of Sanford is using downtown tax-increment financing revenue to build a 45 mile fiber network.
The Maine Legislature recognizes the importance of the issue and has created the Maine Connectivity Authority to spearhead use of incoming federal broadband funds. The authority will be charged with achieving universal availability of high speed broadband in Maine. The state is expected to receive $129 million through the American Rescue Act Plan signed into law by President Joe Biden. The funds can be used for broadband expansion.
The authority will be empowered to own physical broadband infrastructure, such as poles and wires, and to hold equity in broadband projects. It will also be able to provide grants and loans and to partner with the private sector and local communities to leverage investment and coordinate build out of infrastructure.
"High speed Internet is as fundamental as electricity, heat and water. It is no longer a luxury; it is a necessity. We need to have affordable, high speed Internet throughout our state, and with willpower we will get there," says Governor Mills. "My administration has made expanding access to broadband a priority, securing the first state level investment in more than a decade and bringing high speed Internet access to more families and students across Maine. Taking this step to develop the Maine Connectivity Authority puts us on the best path forward to use the American Rescue Plan funds to expand Internet access, especially in rural Maine, and to speed up our economic recovery from the pandemic."