Internet Project

    The Town of Bowdoinham applied for and received a $40,000 Planning Grant from ConnectME.  The grant will provide for planning a fiber optic network in the Town served by the latest IP fiber-to-the-home technology.  
    The grant will enable Lincolnville Communications, Inc. (LCI) to design a network, including middle mile network mapping, street level mapping, and construction cost estimates.  This analysis will also include a payback and a internal rate of return analysis to make sure the projects make sense financially.
     Lincolnville Communications has successfully completed many high speed internet projects, including 12 projects that were made possible by ConnectME infrastructure grant funding.  The Company and its affiliates provide a wide array of high speed internet, high speed data, voice, cable television and IPTV to approximately 15,000 customers in Mid-coast Maine.

In January 2019, LCI completed their the planning work for the ConnectME Planning Grant!  LCI presented their findings to the Select Board at their January 29th Meeting.  LCI’s presentation is attached a the bottom of this page.  In all, it was determined that it will cost $580,630 to get our unserved residents connected to the internet.  

In Spring 2019 we partnered with LCI to apply for a ConnectME Infrastructure grant and we got it!  

In Fall 2020, Lincolnville Communications, Inc. was the process of securing all pole permits (over 700 poles!) and completing their final fiber build out design.  They were planning on completing the fiber build out by the end of this year.  LCI Customer Service Unit will begin contacting applicants in December to go over all details, discuss any additional cost (i.e., if fiber drop from pole to house is beyond the first 250 ft included in he $100 install fee).  We've not heard which roads they are planning on starting with, but understand that they will starting where the sign-ups are.  Of course, all fiber construction and  individual home installs are subject to winter weather constraints. They do install all year round – but severe winter weather conditions may require some rescheduling.  

Unfortunately, there have been a few events beyond our control that have delayed the project. Consolidated Communications Inc (CCI) and CMP must complete work on approx. 88 utility poles in the Bowdoinham fiber build area. The storm last fall caused significant damage throughout Maine resulting in a backlog of work for CCI crews. We had hoped that CCI would be done by the end of Jan., but it now appears that they will not be finished until the end of Feb.  As soon as Consolidated crews are finished with the pole attachment work, LCI can begin attaching the fiber optic lines on over 700 poles in preparation for broadband installation to individual homes.  The delay has allowed the LCI engineers time to take another look at the network design and make upgrades that will result in an even more robust and reliable “active” fiber network for Bowdoinham.

In March/April/May, LCI completed the remaining 25 miles of fiber optic cabling build out.

As of June 12 approximately 50 new Bowdoinham subscribers will be surfing the web, streaming video, participating in Zoom/Skype video conferences, and generally downloading and uploading to their hearts content on their 50 Mbps or 100 Mbps fiber optic internet connection.

LCI can serve 217 homes on the new 25 mile Fiber Optic Network – but so far only 110 of the 217 homes have signed up. LCI will continue to take applications for this first wave of installs through June. But after that date you may have to wait till late summer or early fall for the second wave of installs in Bowdoinham. Don’t miss this first wave of installations!

The roads that are included in the LCI Fiber Optic Network are all or portions of: Batchelder Rd., Cranberry Way, Hatch Point Lane, River Rd., Beechnut Ridge, Dingley Rd., Hunter Lane, S. Pleasant St., Carding Machine Rd., Eagle Wing Lane, Island View Lane, Wallace Way, Carlson Cross Rd., Fiddlehead Lane, Pioneer Rd., White Rd.