After years of planning, Maine is nearing the construction phase for new fiber optic infrastructure that's meant to help long-underserved parts of the state access broadband.
The Maine Connectivity Authority has announced that it's searching for vendors to help design and build a 530-mile fiber optic network through parts of central, northern and eastern Maine.
The project is known as the Maine Online Optical Statewide Enabling Network, or MOOSE Net.
Andrew Butcher, president of the Maine Connectivity Authority, said MOOSE Net essentially acts as a public fiber optic highway, providing off-ramps that serve as connection points for individual communities.
"This is a really key way in which we sustain long-term impact for our connectivity in Maine," he said.
The network will start in the midcoast and form a ring through central Maine near Skowhegan and Farmington. It will then run in two paths to the Canadian border through Franklin and Somerset Counties, head east connecting the Bangor region and much of Washington County, and end at the Canadian border near Calais.
Much of the project will be paid for through a $30 million federal grant
Construction is expected to begin in mid 2025 and take about two years to complete.
