Consolidated Communications said it started work this month on a $14 million expansion of its high-speed, fiber-optic internet network in the Brunswick area.
The buildout of its Fidium Fiber service will reach more than 18,000 homes and businesses, mostly in Brunswick, Topsham and Harpswell, the company said. A handful of customers in Freeport, Bowdoinham and Durham will also be connected.
Scott Levesque, a splice service technician from Consolidated Communications, installs access points for a fiber-optic internet cable in Portland in April 2022. Derek Davis / Portland Press Herald file photo
Fiber service will increase download and upload speeds to between 50 megabits per second and 2 gigabits per second, several times faster than cable internet. Download and upload speeds could be upgraded on the new network to up to 10 gigabits per second in the coming years, according to Consolidated spokesperson Nicole Elton.
“The fiber infrastructure is going to be what keeps Maine connected for decades to come,” Elton said. “This is going to allow us to keep improving service over time.”
Consolidated Communications, based in Illinois, operates in 22 states. Since 2021, it has expanded its fiber network to more than 174,000 customers in more than 60 communities in Maine. The Brunswick-area buildout is part of its plan to expand fiber service to about 1.6 million customers across its territories through 2026.
“It’s a huge investment we’ve been making,” Elton said. “It’s about being able to expand service to bring connectivity to more people.”
Construction on the Brunswick-area buildout started May 1 and is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Traffic closures on some roads are expected.
“We’re working as quickly and safely as we can to complete the project,” Elton said.
The company has an interactive map showing where service will be expanded, and customers can sign up for progress notifications at fidiumfiber.com.
Consolidated is currently in negotiations with a group of about 500 homes and businesses in Bath trying to expand fiber service to rural parts of the city.
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