South Portland’s plan to develop a city-wide broadband network has drawn interest from five companies, according to Economic Development Director William Mann.

The collaborative project to increase the availability of high-speed internet in the city has been planned for some time, Mann said, but the pandemic has shown just how much it was needed.

“Before the pandemic, everybody thought, ‘Well, that’d be great,'” he said. “When the pandemic hit, and meetings were being held as virtual meetings … it was no longer desirable. It was a necessity.”

The goal of the project is to bring competitively priced high-speed internet to all South Portland residents and businesses. With at least three internet providers operating on the city-wide network, Mann said, that goal can be met by giving consumers an ample number of providers to choose from.

“There really has not been a lot of choice in most cases in our communities. In most communities in the state of Maine there’s one provider,” he said.

Having only one provider allows that company to “dictate what level of service they’re offering and at what price point,” he said.

Broadband provides a high-speed internet connection, which under new federal legislation equates to a download speed of 100 megabits per second and an upload speed of 20 mpbs.

Download speeds are used for browsing the internet, streaming movies and downloading files. According to the FCC, browsing the internet typically requires just 1 mbps of download speed and streaming a video in HD can require as much as 8 mbps. Students and at-home workers, the FCC says, require as much as 25 mbps to simultaneously use applications such as browsers, telephones, email, online chat programs and video conferencing.

Upload speeds are used to send messages, post photos to social media, and stream your own video and audio in teleconferences, such as Skype, Zoom or FaceTime.

The city is looking for “at least gigabit level service,” Mann said, as higher internet speeds are needed to keep up with the ever-evolving technological landscape. One gigabit is equal to 1,000 megabits.

One of the internet service providers interested in helping set up the city-wide network is Biddeford-based Great Works Internet, according to President and Chief of Operations Kerem Durdag.

GWI, in partnership with Arctaris Impact Investors and the Finance Authority of Maine, announced a separate plan late last month to build a broadband network in South Portland and four other communities. Work is expected to start in the next few months on the network, which will cover roughly 5,900 homes and 500 businesses in South Portland.

“If you look at the total number of South Portland premises, this would be around a little over 50 to 55% of the city,” Durdag said in an interview with The Forecaster.

GWI will install a total of 240 miles of fiber-optic cables along utility poles in South Portland and the four other communities. Fiber-optic cables are able to provide higher speeds than traditional telephone wires and are now widely used for internet, cable television and telephones.

Once installed, residents in the coverage area who want GWI as an internet provider can sign up for their service.

While Mann says he appreciates companies like GWI making investments in the city “that benefit our residents,” he encourages providers to work through the city’s bidding process.

“We would hope that anyone making an investment would come to the city first,” he said. “Discuss what the community’s desires are and how there could be collaboration to further the interests of all our citizens.”

Mann foresees broadband internet going down a similar path as cellphone services.

“You had more providers, you had more choice, prices dropped, more competition, and the highest levels of technology and service were available in the marketplace,” he said.

Durdag agrees.

“When you have a choice, you have the marketplace pushing for highly reliable, highly robust, and also highly competitive service levels,” he said.

While the city will not be in charge of the providers operating on the proposed city-wide network, it will help build the foundation. Mann compared the relationship to that of the city and the Portland International Jetport. Much of the Jetport’s property, including the main runway, is in South Portland.

“We don’t operate the airlines, but we provide the place where they can operate,” he said. “We take care of the infrastructure so that it can land and take off planes, handle baggage and get passengers in and out safely.”

GWI participates in the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program, which provides broadband internet at a discounted price for qualifying households. A household is eligible for a $30 per month discount through the program if it has an income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. In 2022, a four-person household making $55,500 or less annually is eligible.

The city is currently reviewing the responses it has received. Once the review process is complete, Mann says recommendations for the City Council are soon to follow.

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