Broadband expansion gets PUC OK
The state's utilities regulators have given a new Maine telecommunications company the go-ahead to provide new broadband cable as part of the Three Ring Binder project.
The Maine Public Utilities Commission voted unanimously yesterday to give Maine Fiber Co. the ability to provide new fiber optic cable in the state, according to a press release. Under a new law passed this year, any provider of dark fiber -- or cable that is not carrying any data -- must be designated as a utility and regulated by the commission. Maine Fiber Co. was formed earlier this year to lead the Three Ring Binder project to expand broadband access to rural areas, funded in part by $25 million in federal stimulus funds. The company's rates and operations will be subject to market competition and will not be regulated by the commission. Maine Fiber will have to report basic financial information annually to the PUC.
Construction on the 1,100-mile Three Ring Binder project is expected to begin this spring. Maine Fiber will provide new cable to any telecommunications or Internet companies that pay for the service, according to the release.
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