Maine’s Broadband Revolution…It’s Coming

Dwight Allison, CEO, Maine Fiber Company, Inc. Susan Corbett, CEO, Axiom TechnologiesFletcher Kittredge, CEO and Founder, GWI

What is the challenge?

•49,000 Homes and Businesses without broadband access in Maine today

•Maine is 43rd in broadband adoption in the United States

Grant Award MatchMiddle Mile:

– Three Ring Binder $25,400,000.00 $7,00,000.00Mapping Planning Project:Technical Assistance Project:Strategic Planning Project:

– ConnectME $ 4,978,492.00 $1,343,835.00Last Mile:

– TDS Telecom $ 9,400,000.00 $3,100,000.00Public Computer Center:

– Maine State Library $ 1,400,000.00 $ 500,000.00Sustainable Broadband Adoption:

– Axiom Technologies $ 1,400,000.00 $ 500,000.00

ARRA BIP/BTOP AWARDS

Total BTOP Investment for the State of Maine

ARRA Funds $42,578,432.00Grant Match $12,443.835.00

$55,022,327.00

 What is the Three Ring Binder (“3RB”)?- The 3RB is 1,100 miles of fiber optic cable being installed throughout Maine.- The 3RB is being built with a $25.4 million Federal Stimulus Grant and $7.4 million of private investor equity. - The 3RB will be 50% complete by the end of 2011 with the balance completed by fall 2012.- Maine Fiber Company (“MFC”) will be a “carrier of carriers” and will lease dark fiber (no lit fiber) to its customers. Our customers will primarily be telecommunication companies operating in Maine. - No one customer may lease more than 20% of the capacity of the 3RB in any one area. The 3RB brings middle mile fiber to many rural areas of Maine on an open access, non-discriminatory, low cost basis.- From the 3RB, telecom carriers in Maine can build out last mile projects to connect homes and businesses to broadband.

Who is Maine Fiber Company?

 - Maine Fiber Company is an independent, private, for-profit corporation, which will build, own and operate the 3RB.

- MFC is unaffiliated with any telecom carrier to ensure fair and equal access to the system for all competitors.

- MFC has formed a ten member advisory board (MFC AB) to make recommendations regarding the construction, operation and use of the 3RB.

- The MFC AB has helped MFC with establishing a process for reviewing applications for subsidized fiber connections from Community Anchor Institutions to the 3RB.

The Three Ring Binder

Route

Community Anchor Institutions

- The 3RB will pass through 100 local Maine communities.- The 3RB route was designed to pass by 600 community anchor institutions (“CAI’s”), such as local libraries, schools, police stations, town halls, court houses and medical buildings.- To date, we have connected about 25 CAI’s (including a town hall, a fire department, several medical centers, a library, several schools, and a community center).- We have approved about an additional 60 subsidized CAI connections and we are still reviewing additional applications. We are also still accepting applications but are on hold for approval of more applications at this time.- Information about the company and the project can be found at www.MaineFiberCo.com.

Washington County Education and Employment through Sustainable Broadband Adoption

Farmers, Fishermen & Nurses Education & Training blending natural resource-based industry

with 21st century technology.

Programs developed for “real-time” reporting to the State & Federal Government.

Distance Learning Education Program connecting College of Nursing & Health Professions in Lewiston, ME to Downeast Community Hospital in Machias, ME.

Collaborators Working Together

Sunrise County Blueberry Cooperative

Farmers & Fishermen

• 10 Fishermen Chosen• 10 Farmers Chosen• Broadband Connections Installed at Home or Business• Individual Learning Plans for Subjects Crews and Families• Rugged Laptop (Toughbook) to each Farmer & Fishermen• Basic Computer Skills Classes Started 2/1/11• Meeting with Consultants

Distance Learning Program: Downeast Community Hospital• Inaugural class of students

chosen• A broadband connection was

installed at Downeast Community Hospital

• Video conferencing equipment installed at CoNHP & DECH

• SimMan, IV Simulator and Video Microscope

Washington CountyMobileBroadbandPublic SafetyPilot Project

Infrastructure Team•Dielectric/SPX•Harris Corporation•UMO WiSE Net Lab•WCEMA•Axiom Technologies•Three Ring Binder•SCEC/TIF•State CIO/CTO•MEMA•Public Safety•County Commissioners•ConnectME Authority

Washington County Team•WCEMA•RCC•DECH•Sheriff’s Dept.•County Commissioners•Ambulance Services•Police Departments•Fire Departments•Strike Team•Forest Service•Unorganized Territories•SCEC•WCCOG•Axiom Technologies

Real-time Mobile Connectivity to transmit data to office and other public safety entities including hospitals

• Historically, Maine’s network is the end of the road

• Maine will be a telecommunications bridge between eastern seaboard and Canadian Maritimes

• Maine could potentially become telecommunications bridge between eastern seaboard and Europe

Connecting to Canada/Points South

• 3RB is a middle mile fiber project

• Telecommunications providers are working to extend the network to last mile

• Developing the network to be fast enough, cheap enough, and reliable enough for applications such as cloud computing

Fiber to the Home/Premise

• Cloud Computing centralizes computing resources in data centers (the cloud)

• Consumers and businesses access these resources through the network

• Significant economic benefits make new capabilities available

• Cloud computing is generating $60 billion annually in sales in North America

Cloud Computing

Data Centers• Data Centers are vital

component to cloud computing

• Maine is positioned to be a key location for data centers

• World class network connectivity• Low ambient temperature• Lowest power prices in the

northeast• Abundant sources of power

generation• Hydro, Biomass, Natural gas,

Wind power• Cheap and plentiful real estate• Skilled workforce

• For 21st Century, the network is the fundamental infrastructure for the economy and society

• It must be fast enough, reliable enough, and cheap enough to support the demands of constantly advancing technologies• Fast Enough: Means 1 Gb symmetric to homes/business and

100 Gb symmetric to wireless base stations• Cheap Enough: Less than $100 per month for residences and

less than $500 for businesses • Reliable Enough: Means 99.95% up time

The Three Ring Binder Network

What is the goal?

•To connect the 49,000 Homes and Businesses without broadband access in Maine today

•To move Maine from 43rd in broadband adoption in the United States to #1

And the result will be….• Economic growth leading to job growth• Advanced telecom options (data centers, cloud computing)

to businesses• Telehealth increasing access to healthcare• Distance Learning Education via videoconferencing and

online courses• Technical job training increasing the skills of our workforce• Advanced public safety communications• Increased tourism • Decreased migration of our young people

Maine……. leading the way.