Why Fiber Internet from FirstLight?

With households using more bandwidth for homeschooling, music and video streaming, and online shopping, fast and reliable Internet has become a necessity. FirstLight has been providing Internet access since 1998 with the philosophy that the greatest quality of service is provided not just by the highest possible connection speed, but also combined with superior peering arrangements and dedicated bandwidth delivered over a stable, fiber-based network.

FirstLight’s Internet transit is backed by diverse pathways located throughout the Northeast, which reduces hop counts and improves the overall user experience. In fact, 50% of all Internet traffic on FirstLight’s IP network is directly connected to the ultimate destination, reducing latency and improving response time.

To ensure high uptime, FirstLight’s IP network employs redundant equipment, connections, and power supplies. Our IP network is deployed regionally in a ring architecture with each region capable of operating independently.

Maine-based technicians ensure that should an issue arise, the FirstLight team can quickly respond and address the situation.

PRESS RELEASE

FirstLight Announces Expansion of Residential Broadband in Maine

This investment helps to bridge the digital divide in unserved and underserved areas throughout the state

Albany, NY – December 7, 2022 – FirstLight, a leading provider of digital infrastructure services to enterprise and carrier customers throughout the Northeast and mid-Atlantic, announced today it 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.”