Funds sought for Lincoln-area Internet service
9/24/09 | 9 comments
stimulus

Funds sought for Lincoln-area Internet service


By Nick Sambides Jr.
BDN Staff

A Lincoln-based communications company seeks $5.57 million in federal stimulus money to provide high-speed Internet service to 3,400 homes and businesses in 63 Penobscot County towns, its owner said Wednesday.

Motorbrain Consulting Inc. is among 17 Maine Internet service providers seeking a piece of the $4.7 billion of first-round Broadband Technology Opportunities Program grants available nationwide.

The grant submission occurred this month. First-round awards will be announced in December, said Cheryl Russell, Motorbrain’s business development director.

“What we really believe is advantageous to our proposal is that the ‘last mile’ user would have satellite communications without cost,” Russell said Wednesday. “It’s not that we are asking for $5.5 million and keeping half of it. All of it is going right back out into the community. It truly is a ‘shovel-ready’ project.”

The Broadband Technology Opportunities Program was authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and governed by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration. BTOP funds broadband infrastructure deployment in unserved or underserved areas to enhance broadband capacity at public computer centers and encourage sustainable adoption of broadband service, according to the administration’s Web site, ntia.doc.gov.

Motorbrain is assisting state officials at mapping areas where no broadband services exist and would — if it wins funding — provide that service via satellite for 24 months at no cost to the consumer, said Brad Libby, the company’s president.

The communities targeted include Burlington, Enfield, East Millinocket, Chester, Howland, Lee, Lincoln, Lowell, Mattawamkeag, Medway, Millinocket, Passadumkeag, Sherman and Wytopitlock within and near the Katahdin and Lincoln Lakes regions.

“Pick any of the end of the roads around here. Frost Street might be one, Half Township Road. These ‘last mile’ users are in really rural parts of our area where it’s just not financially feasible for someone to run cable,” Libby said.

The company is an experienced satellite service provider. According to its proposal’s executive summary, Motorbrain has the installation contract for all HughesNet Broadband satellite systems in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. Since it began tracking data in 2004, Motorbrain has installed more than 10,422 systems, with 4,130 in Maine.

Each month, Motorbrain installs between 500 and 600 satellite Internet systems in New England.

The state’s federal delegation, some state legislators and local government leaders have written letters of support for Motorbrain’s submission, including Millinocket Town Manager Eugene Conlogue.

“There is a service gap in the state for high-speed Internet service for rural areas. It would be a major boost to the area if they are successful in getting the grant,” Conlogue said Wednesday. “That is my sole rationale for wanting to support it.”

Businesses, municipal and school leaders and residents interested in supporting Motorbrain’s application can call or e-mail Russell at 631-6391 or consult@hughes.net. A strong show of community support will help the application, she said.

Grant competition is intense, with more than 2,000 applications for phase I funding that vastly exceed the $4.7 billion allotted, Russell said. The company plans to seek phase II funding if it fails at phase I. All of the $7.2 billion authorized within the BTOP program must be issued by next fall, she said.

nsambides@bangordailynews.net

794-8215

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Comments
9 comments on this item
On 9/23/09 at 10:22 PM, AMomsOpinion wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Go Cheryl Go...people in this area deserve high speed internet service, there are many people without. I had dial up for quite sometime and I am a small business owner...it was hellacious!

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On 9/24/09 at 9:07 AM, bobsiegler wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I LIVE IN A BOONDOCK AREA IN MISSOURI AND HAVE HUGHES.NET AND IT SUCKS. THEY LIMIT HOW MUCH YOU CAN DOWNLOAD IN A 24 HR PERIOD AND COST 60 BUCKS A MO AFTER 500 BUCKS FOR THE SET UP. MORE A MO IF YOU DON'T PUT UP THE FIRST 500. THEY SAY YOU GET A REBATE BUT AFTER 3 YRS I AM STILL WAITING ON THE 100 BUCKS REBATE. I WOULDN'T WISH THIS ON ANY ONE.

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On 9/24/09 at 9:17 AM, ronfromdowneast wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

"provide that service via satellite for 24 months at no cost to the consumer"

Bunk. If they pay taxes they are helping to pay for it.

AMomsOpinion: "people in this area deserve high speed internet service"

Not when someone else has to pay for it.......

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On 9/24/09 at 9:31 AM, AMomsOpinion wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Well. "ronfromdownest" this STIMULIS money is being made available for reasons like this...for whomever takes the time to write a grant application with good reason for the need of funds. When decided the best candidates wiill recieve funds, and if they are chosen they obviosly deserve the awarded STIMULIS money. It is there to STIMULATE the economy. Plain & simple.

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On 9/24/09 at 7:14 PM, johnsod27330 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I am so tired of hearing we deserve this and we deserve that. Broadband internet is not a right. When I grew up in Maine we had three over the air TV stations and could not get cable even though it was less then a 1/4 mile away. Talk about waste 5.57 million works out to $1600.00 per customer. It doesn't cost that much to put in satellite transponders. I would like to know how this no-cost service supposed to work? At some point the provider will have to charge or is this company only going to put in the infastructure then the proposed customers will pay out the wazoo. I know what I need to do to elevate my internet bill. Move to the boondocks where the government will give it to me for free.

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On 9/24/09 at 10:03 PM, downeastdave wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I agree with Bob Siegler! I also have HUGHES.NET and it SUCKS!!! It is way overpriced for the quality of service that you get. But they must realize that when you are without options and you need the service you WILL pay. I absolutely need internet connectivity for work and a small business that we run. It just pisses me off that I pay almost $100 a month while if Lincoln gets this grant then the folks there will get it for free. Thats BS! Don't be fooled either.... this is NOT DSL. It is better than dial up but NOT much! (I have family that lives out of state that gets DSL for $30/mo. - good fast service and a reasonable price)

I have already been shafted once already. The town of Steuben spend some of my tax money to get Axiom to put up a tower to serve the community. I thought that this would be GREAT. No more satellite!!! Axiom came out to the house to do the install.... no signal... nada! So how many more years I am going to be stuck paying premium prices for horrible service? How many more tax rebates; incentives; grants am I going to see going elsewhere while I see none?

Dont waste our tax money!!! if you are going to do it... do it right!!! There are much better options than satellite

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On 9/25/09 at 10:25 AM, oneonlineobserver wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

We reported HughesNet to the Better Business Bureau http://www.dc.bbb.org/default.asp and to the Federal Trade Commission https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/

If more people complain maybe they will do something (don't hold your breath). Can't hurt to take a few minutes and report them. The squeaky wheel gets the oil, ya know?

Johnsod27330, we are asking for free service. We pay 70 dollars a month and are unable to download anything, listen to music or watch videos. UNLESS we do it between 2am and 7am.

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On 9/25/09 at 10:26 AM, oneonlineobserver wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Sorry, meant to say we are NOT asking for free service!

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On 9/26/09 at 8:26 AM, Albert wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

This certainly is not the way to go. I telecommute to a job to CT daily from my "last mile" location and depend on a good connection to be able to work. It has to be high speed broadband. I use remote desktop as well as general internet use. With the limited download ability and latency in the signal processing with Hughes.net it makes it a reasonable backup connection at best. I had been spending $80 a month for Hughes.net for their best plan, it was almost useless. I have been relying on a radio connection on top of a local hill that works great, when it works. I just finished my 2 year commitment with Hughes and the same week I shut that down U.S. Cellular started transmitting their EVDO signal. Although this is also limited (5GB a month) in download it is fast, reliable, about half the price of Hughes, and portable. For the first time in 12 years I can get high speed connections in my cabin, on the road, and all day at work, with one little device. What we need is a better infrastructure of wireless towers. Not more junk to stick on our roofs. This money would be better spend on digital broadcasting towers and combined digital TV and broadband efforts. Don't get me going on digital HD TV, that is another story!

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