COOPER MUNICIPAL BROADBAND UPDATES
Cooper Internet Project Update:
9/20/2023
The new Maine Connectivity Authority required more information and legal changes than was previously required under the ConnectME Authority. This caused a delay of almost 1 year in the project. Downeast Broadband Authority paid their lawyers to amend the contract to fulfill Maine Connectivity Authority requirements to enable Cooper and Princeton to receive their grants.
Pole licensing from the pole owner, Consolidated Communications is a very slow process. Consolidated’s behavior of slowing the process down is well documented. In Cooper’s case the first step to getting that license has been completed. Consolidated now has 180 days to complete their side of the bargain or face penalties. According to the contract, construction should begin November 29, 2023 but that will be determined by how quickly they give us the licenses to attach to the poles.
Actual construction, laying of support and fiber cables, testing would be next. Once the licensing is in place Pioneer assures me they have the crews ready to start. I will update the schedule then.
I will update Cooper once we have the licenses in hand.
Thanks,
Daniel Sullivan
9/20/2023
The new Maine Connectivity Authority required more information and legal changes than was previously required under the ConnectME Authority. This caused a delay of almost 1 year in the project. Downeast Broadband Authority paid their lawyers to amend the contract to fulfill Maine Connectivity Authority requirements to enable Cooper and Princeton to receive their grants.
Pole licensing from the pole owner, Consolidated Communications is a very slow process. Consolidated’s behavior of slowing the process down is well documented. In Cooper’s case the first step to getting that license has been completed. Consolidated now has 180 days to complete their side of the bargain or face penalties. According to the contract, construction should begin November 29, 2023 but that will be determined by how quickly they give us the licenses to attach to the poles.
Actual construction, laying of support and fiber cables, testing would be next. Once the licensing is in place Pioneer assures me they have the crews ready to start. I will update the schedule then.
I will update Cooper once we have the licenses in hand.
Thanks,
Daniel Sullivan