Demand for at-home broadband connectivity continues to increase as a result of remote learning, remote work, telehealth, and other drivers. This means it’s more important than ever to address the digital divide, a phenomenon in which underserved communities lack accessible Internet and technology services.

FirstLight, a leading provider of digital infrastructure services to enterprise and carrier customers throughout the Northeast and mid-Atlantic, aims to provide the necessary resources for communities to continue to thrive, and ultimately help bridge the digital divide. 

FirstLight recently announced it is building out its fiber-based broadband network in parts of Maine, where the company currently has 3,600 fiber route miles, and anticipates building an additional 121 route miles of fiber by year-end. This expansion is a direct response to increased demand for powerful, reliable residential Internet access to support important initiatives like telehealth, remote learning and remote work.

According to the Maine Department of Labor’s Center for Workforce Research and Information, Maine has about 160,000 jobs that were recently identified as being remote. These jobs rely on dependable, high-speed Internet connectivity, and it is FirstLights mission to cater to these needs.

Patrick Coughlin, Chief Development Officer at FirstLight, is excited to be playing an important role in transforming Maine’s digital landscape. “Remote work continues to transform many local economies, and having secure, reliable fiber is a huge advantage if not a necessity to the work-from-home trend.” 

FirstLight’s fiber network now passes more than 4,880 homes in its Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier (ILEC) regions, that consist of several Central and Western Maine towns, allowing the Pine Tree State continued success in attracting new residents by offering both a unique quality of life as well as reliable connectivity.

In addition to FirstLights most recent project in the Town of Minot, the company is also working with the communities of Albany Township, Bethel, Gilead, Greenwood, Newry, and Woodstock on a potential fiber build in that area.

To learn more about FirstLight, visit here: Home – FirstLight