Telecom: Broadband Adoption

State & Local Broadband Best Practices Survey

1. ID (System Generated): 44417

2. Project Name (System Generated): ME Washington County, Maine Broadband Project

3. State: ME

4. Title of project or program: Washington County Broadband Project

5. Identify the type of organization that administers this project:

   1. Business Organization

   2. Other:

6. What is the project’s geographic coverage area?

7. Is the purpose of the project to construct broadband infrastructure in/to:

   1. Unserved Areas

8. Is the purpose of the project to promote broadband use by:

   1. Low-Income Consumers

9. What technologies are used by the project?

   1. Wireless-Wi-Fi

   2. Other technology:

10. If the project involves utilizing noteworthy hardware or software products, please identify the major vendors and/or partners for the project:

11. Did the project involve building infrastructure that produced a new or faster broadband service? Yes

    1. What is the rated or marketed speed of the fastest new or updated broadband service offered to:

       Business consumers?10 mbps

       Residential consumers?3 mbps

    2. Are these “peak” speeds or “average” speeds? Average

    3. Are these speeds “symmetrical?” (users can simultaneously upload and download at this speed): Yes

12. What consumers are served by the infrastructure project:

    1. Rural or Low-Density Areas

    2. Other:

13. If the purpose of the project is to stimulate demand for broadband services, please indicate how it achieved this goal:

    1. Application Development

    2. Other method: The Washington County Broadband Project included 30 unserved, rural towns. Axiom had previously built a wireless infrastructure covering 18 towns. Without the assistance of the ConnectME grant funding, we would not have been able to continue bringing service to the rest of the County. Important to note is that Axiom only pays tower rent on 4 towers on mountain tops. The additional 65 Access Points are an Exchange of Service, which is a testament of the support of the community. Without these Exchange of Service agreements, we would not be able to bring service to this super rural area. Washington County, Maine is 2500 square miles, with 13,000+ homes, and a median household income of $31,563.00.

14. If the purpose of the project is to improve affordability of broadband services, please indicate how it achieves this goal:

    1. Equipment Subsidies

    2. Other method:

15. If the purpose of the project is to promote the availability of broadband services in rural areas, please indicate how it achieves this goal:

    1. Other: The majority of businesses in Washington County, Maine are small businesses. The introduction of broadband to these businesses changed the way they now operate their businesses. Many businesses upgraded networks, installed VoIP phone service, installed IP security cameras because of broadband accessiblity.

16. Please provide detailed project description including time sequence for the project's implementation: One Year

17. Identify the project funding sources:

    1. State or Local Tax Funds

    2. Other: Grant funding by the ConnectME Authority

18. What is the project cost?

    1. Total capital expenditures to date:

       $ 266,575.00 millions as of [fiscal/calendar] year 2009

    2. Annual program operating budget (estimated if not yet fully operational):

       $ 2,193,080.00 millions as of [fiscal/calendar] year 2009

19. What impediments or problems were encountered in completing the project or program? Weather in northern New England is a challenge as the winter months are long and ice and snow limit deployment of Access Points and subscriber installations. Geography is a challenge, Axiom spent the first several years doing research and development to meet the challenges of the terrain; mountains, ridges, ocean all provided an environment to test the limits of technology.

20. What actions were taken to resolve or minimize project or program impediments and problems? Education and interaction with other vendors, flexible, innovative and creative approach

21. What other lessons were learned during the process of undertaking and completing this project or program? Permitting, licensing and interacting with local town governments took more time than anticipated.

22. Project or program website link: http://www.axiom-tech.net

23. For further information contact:

    1. Name: Susan Corbett

    2. Title: CEO

    3. Organization: Axiom Technologies

    4. Telephone Number: 207-255-0679

    5. E-Mail Address: susan.corbett@axiom-tech.net