Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Broadband topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Consolidated Communications outlines grant-funded fiber rollout for Tamworth, targets March completion
Summary
Consolidated Communications presented grant-backed fiber construction for Tamworth, saying crews are active and listing March 15 (weather-dependent) as the current target for completing construction; the project will pass roughly 2,266 addresses in town, with 1,256 addresses covered by the state grant.
Jeff Maciver, a regional representative for Consolidated Communications, told the Select Board the company’s grant-funded broadband build is underway in Tamworth and surrounding wire centers. He said the state-funded program and a $40 million grant awarded to the company supported much of the regional rollout.
"So again, my name is Jeff Maciver," Maciver said during his presentation. He described the three-step deployment process — placement of fiber over existing infrastructure, splicing and testing — and said crews had begun mobilizing trucks and equipment in town.
Maciver provided the project’s current Tamworth goal and scope. "Tamworth right now is scheduled to be done. So I have March 15 as our goal right now," he said, adding that final timelines are weather dependent. He said the build in Tamworth will pass about 2,266 addresses and that 1,256 of those are grant addresses; the company also plans to build an additional thousand addresses using its own capital.
The company emphasized a community-facing preorder system and a landing page (infidiumfiber.com) for residents to register interest. Maciver asked the board to consider linking or otherwise promoting the preorder page and offered to supply nonbinding language for town communications so residents do not mistake preordering for a contract.
Board members and residents asked questions about where fiber would be placed (often over existing copper lines), whether Consolidated would remove disintegrating copper, and how competition with other providers is handled. Maciver said over-lashing fiber on existing copper is its common approach and that removing copper would be addressed over time with notice and planning.
The company also described how grant and non-grant addresses are handled and invited town officials to request maps and more localized construction timing. Maciver concluded by offering communication support and follow-up contact information.
