Project improving cell service and Internet access Downeast

Improved cellular service and broadband Internet access are becoming a reality in Downeast Maine, according to Wireless Partners LCC. At a recent press conference at Helen's Restaurant in Machias, the company presented updates on current activity and advancements that will provide a 4G LTE cellular network to many Downeast areas.
Wireless Partners is a company based in Portland, with a second office located in Pembroke. The company's business focus, according to its website, is to develop and provide carrier grade wireless communication solutions to unserved and underserved rural markets.
With many in attendance, including local business leaders and county representatives, Robert Parsloe, CEO of Wireless Partners, stated, "I'm pleased to announce today that our 4G LTE broadband network has launched here in east Hancock and Washington counties." Service was officially launched along Route 1, between Ellsworth and Eastport, and Route 9, between Bangor and Calais. All other service areas will be operational by the end of year.
Parsloe is not new to the industry, having held positions and been involved in other ventures similar to this one. In June 2014 Parsloe was CEO of Phoenix Wireless, after having been with MainePCS LLC, which filed for bankruptcy in 2009. He then formed Northeast Wireless Network, but left after only a year to start Phoenix Wireless to do what he described at the time as a much larger project. While with Phoenix Wireless, Parsloe contracted with both Sprint and Verizon to bring improved cellular service to Downeast Maine. According to Crystal Canney of Knight Canney Group, a media consulting firm for Wireless Partners, it was later decided to split off the Verizon partnership to an entity called Wireless Partners, so that focus could be placed on continuing to develop and implement service strategy for Verizon.
This project, now solely between Wireless Partners and Verizon Wireless to bring advanced cellular service to the area, has taken a year and a half, at a cost of $3.4 million, financed by Mechanics Savings Bank and insured by the Finance Authority of Maine. It involves 13 new towers and equipment placed onto 19 existing towers, making a total of 32 sites operational in support of the expanded service. Wireless Partners is one of 21 Verizon Rural America carrier partners.
The Downeast project is part of the Verizon Wireless's LTE in Rural America Program. With 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE), which is now considered the standard for wireless communication of high speed data for mobile devices, people in rural areas will now have access to the same service and information that people living in major cities take for granted.
When asked specifically about the timing for some of the more rural areas, Parsloe noted that a major tower in Whiting is set for completion and new towers are on schedule for installation. Verizon customers should immediately notice better data service. Improved voice service will arrive in another 45 days. At that time, an announcement will be made about a partner to provide Internet service.
Chris Gardner, executive director of the Eastport Port Authority and a Washington County commissioner, expressed distinct pleasure in being at the gathering. "We have myriad advantages in this part of Maine, including spectacular scenery, clean air and water, deep water ports, proximity to Canada and Europe. What we haven't had, until now, is the connectivity that doing business in the 21st century demands," said Gardner. "This is a great moment."
Michael Aube from Eastern Maine Development Corporation then shared his enthusiasm for the project, saying, "Among the top drivers to success is access to communication options that connect businesses to their customers, suppliers and expanded marketing opportunities. This project will do just that."
Concluding the announcement and reaffirming the importance of cellular and data service to this area, economics professor David Vail of Bowdoin College addressed the audience via video streaming on the new network. Vail said, "For this area, sustainable prosperity can only exist with a thriving tourism industry. It is a necessity and an expectation of tourists visiting this area to be connected just like they were at home. This is the real thread of destination development, and this program is a significant piece."