FairPoint completes $6.6 million investment to bring broadband to 20 target communities

FairPoint Communications, Inc (Nasdaq: FRP), a leading provider of advanced communications in northern New England, completed broadband expansion work at the end of December, wrapping up a two-year project that will benefit nearly 4,000 locations in 20 target communities across Vermont.’
The target community areas include portions of Bethel, Bradford, Braintree, Brownington, Charleston, Chelsea, Corinth, Dummerston, Eden, Fairlee, Guilford, Johnson, Pittsfield, Putney, Readsboro, Thetford, Vershire, Washington, West Fairlee and Weston that previously lacked broadband availability. ‘
In 2012, the Vermont Public Service Board approved a plan that the Department of Public Service and FairPoint developed for FairPoint to invest service quality monies totaling more than $6.6 million from 2008, 2009 and 2010 and use them for a purpose that benefits Vermonters and serves the state’s larger goals. ‘
‘We are proud to have completed this project, as promised, in 2013 and make broadband available to nearly 4,000 additional locations,’ said Beth Fastiggi, FairPoint state president for Vermont. ‘The Board’s decision in 2012 enabled FairPoint to invest these funds in a way that advanced the state’s goal of bringing universal broadband to Vermonters, and is a key milestone to Vermont’s future success; this creative use of funding helped bring broadband to 20 unserved, target communities.’’
FairPoint selected the target communities based on analysis from the Department of Public Service and Vermont Telecommunications Authority who used census block data to determine and map unserved locations.’
‘The $6.6 million FairPoint invested was instrumental to the state’s plans for achieving the goal of universal broadband coverage,’ said Jim Porter, telecommunications and public policy director of the Department of Public Service. ‘FairPoint and the Department worked very closely over the past two years on this investment, and these expansions represented coverage of more than 70 percent of the state’s unserved locations.’’
FairPoint also improved broadband services in the towns of Bellows Falls, Castleton, Enosburg Falls, Lyndonville, Manchester, Shelburne, West Dover, Wilmington and Winooski as a part of this project.’
FairPoint has invested nearly $100 million in its IP-based network and broadband expansion in the Green Mountain State and has added 1,100 miles of new fiber, providing high-speed access to 92 percent of its Vermont service areas. ‘
‘I can’t think of any other provider who has done more than FairPoint to bring broadband to Vermonters, and I want to thank all of the men and women at FairPoint who had a part in completing this project.’ Access to broadband opens a door to the world for the residents and businesses and is fundamental to the state’s future economic growth,’ Fastiggi said. ‘We will continue to seek out additional funding and grants that will help further the goals of the state for broadband expansion and improvements in rural areas.’’
FairPoint’s new fiber-based, high-capacity network offers customers a better, faster way to communicate. FairPoint provides residential speed options up to 15Mbps. Broadband service on the IP-based network means customers can smoothly stream live video, play online games and upload photos and large files with ease.’ Reliable broadband access provides almost instant connections to information, news and entertainment. ‘
SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. (Jan. 22, 2014) ‘ FairPoint Communications, Inc
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