Fiber in Belfast

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

Fidium is set to connect 5,700 homes by summer.

Check out the full story at https://www.midcoastvillager.com/news/local/fiber-in-belfast/article_53ba4cee-f453-11ef-9fa9-a34285af78d8.html

Fidium has expanded its multi-gig, symmetrical speed internet service to the Belfast area. Construction began in November and thousands of residents now have access to Fidium's future-proof connectivity.

Once network upgrades are finalized later this spring, more than 5,700 homes and businesses in Belfast and parts of Northport and Swanville will have access to the best internet in Maine, according to a news release.

"We are excited to welcome Fidium to the city of Belfast," Mary Mortier, city councilor and Broadband Committee member, said in the release. "We have been committed to finding a solid pathway for the residents and businesses to access dependable, competitive, symmetrical high-speed fiber broadband connectivity.

"Fidium has covered our community over the last four months, running fiber east to west, and north to south. They made a commitment to the council in the fall to start connecting interested new customers with fiber-to-the-premises in February and going live by March. They are doing just that," the councilor said.

"As a thriving small city, our economic development and future success depend on this absolutely needed infrastructure, whether you're a business, entrepreneur or resident. Our community now has the opportunity to fully engage in the modern world with faster, equal upload and download speeds, flexibility, budget-friendly, customizable, reliable, no-contract internet service."

The expansion of Fidium's all-fiber network brings all the benefits that come with access to a fiber broadband connection. Fiber broadband drives economic growth, in particular for rural communities, increasing business growth by 213% and leading to 44% higher GDP, the company's news release said. For individuals, fiber access results in self-employment growth of 10% and increased per capita income by 18%. Fiber also increases real estate values, as single-family homes with fiber access have a 4.9% higher value than those without.

City Manager Erin Herbig has spoken in past years of having inadequate internet access at her own home. "I have seen firsthand the cost of not having this resource available to students, families and businesses in our community," she said in the news release. "Our small businesses have been limited in a changing economy because poor connections limited their access to new markets — or there was no access at all. Increasing internet access has been a priority of the city of Belfast for a number of years."

This fiber project," she said, "will positively impact the future of both businesses and families in Belfast."

Fidium delivers multi-gig-speed internet without contracts, installation fees or data caps. All Fidium plans offer reliable, symmetrical speeds from 100 Mbps to 2 Gigs (2000 Mbps). Fidium's home phone service offers speeds that allow customers to seamlessly stream their preferred TV and entertainment.

According to its news release, the company has been named the best internet provider in Maine by CNET, and among the Top 10 providers for Real-World Speeds by BroadbandNow.

"Fiber transforms how we connect with one another, delivering superior speeds, low latency and high reliability," Sarah Davis, Fidium vice president of market development, said in the news release. "Access to fiber improves educational outcomes, reduces health care costs, enhances economic opportunities, and much more."

More than 294,000 Maine homes and businesses currently have access to Fidium in Searsport, Ellsworth, Castine and Blue Hill. Further expansion is coming soon, the company said, with construction underway in Winterport, Lincoln County and more locations across the state. Residents and businesses can learn more and sign up for updates about future service availability at Fidium Fiber.

Fidium representatives will be visiting the community soon, taking part in local events and sharing more information about service options and availability. To learn more or to sign up for Fidium, visit Fidium Fiber.