FirstLight Expands Residential Broadband in Maine

FirstLight, a provider of digital infrastructure services to enterprise and carrier customers throughout the Northeast and mid-Atlantic, is building out its fiber-based broadband network in parts of Maine.

FirstLight’s fiber network now passes more than 4,880 homes in its Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier (ILEC) regions that consist of several Central and Western Maine towns.

The expansion of FirstLight’s Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) network in Maine is a direct response to increased demand for powerful, reliable residential Internet access to support important initiatives like telehealth, remote learning and remote work. According to the Maine Department of Labor’s Center for Workforce Research and Information, Maine has about 160,000 jobs that were recently identified as being remote. These jobs rely on dependable, high-speed Internet connectivity.

FirstLight’s ILEC consists of the following towns: Albany Township, Andover, Bethel, Bryant Pond, Buckfield, Canton, Hartford, Hebron, Locke Mills, Mason Township, parts of Minot, Newry, North Norway, North Turner, Roxbury Pond, Sumner, Turner, Upton, West Bethel, West Paris, and Woodstock.

FirstLight has added approximately 300 route miles of new fiber throughout the State since 2019, including most recently in the Town of Minot, with a Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) network in the northwest portion of the town capable of serving 279 homes. FirstLight has completed the "make ready" stage of the project and is currently in the construction phase, with installations underway.

FirstLight is also working with the communities of Albany Township, Bethel, Gilead, Greenwood, Newry, and Woodstock on a potential fiber build in that area.

FirstLight currently has 3,600 fiber route miles in Maine, which serves enterprise, carrier and residential customers, and anticipates building an additional 121 route miles of fiber by year-end.

“Remote work continues to transform many local economies, and having secure, reliable fiber is a huge advantage if not a necessity to the work-from-home trend,” explained Patrick Coughlin, Chief Development Officer. “Maine will continue to have success in attracting new residents by offering both a unique quality of life as well as reliable connectivity. We’re excited to be playing an important role in transforming Maine’s digital landscape.”