[November 29, 2010]

Maine Fiber Company, Inc. Selects NextGen Telecom Services Group for Three Ring Binder Network Construction, Maintenance and Emergency Restoration

Maine Fiber Company, Inc. today announced that it has selected nextGen Telecom Services Group, Inc. as the prime network infrastructure construction contractor for the Three Ring Binder project, an 1,100 mile fiber optic network spanning 100 Maine communities that encompasses 110,000 households, 600 schools, libraries and other anchor community institutions, and 38 government facilities. NextGen (News - Alert) has also been selected by Maine Fiber Company, Inc. to provide on-going maintenance and emergency restoration services.

Maine Fiber Company, Inc. was formed to manage the construction, maintenance and leasing of the Three Ring Binder network that is being built using a combination of federal grant money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) and private investment. Maine Fiber Company, Inc. provides access to its high-capacity network to all qualified users on an open access, non-discriminatory basis. Any carrier or other organization requiring fiber optic facilities may lease network capacity to provide quality, affordable services to business and consumer end users within these communities - and to hundreds of other communities based on building laterals from the main network.

"In a full and open competitive bidding process, nextGen stood alone in terms of delivering the most cost-effective and comprehensive services combined with the facilities, workforce and a project manager all based in Maine to not only build the network, but also ensure it is maintained going forward," said Joshua Broder, General Manager of Maine Fiber Company, Inc. "More importantly, nextGen brings deep experience in Maine to the project in terms of building fiber optic networks for sevice providers, wind farms, smart grids, businesses and other customers - particularly in rural areas."

NextGen has already begun work on the project and expects to complete the construction phase in two years. The company currently operates from its primary facility in Gardiner, Maine, and anticipates expanding to multiple other staging and warehouse facilities in strategic locations throughout the State during construction. NextGen also expects to ramp up its Maine workforce of line foremen, linemen, laborers, traffic control flaggers and warehouse personnel throughout the duration of the construction phase of the project.

"As a resident of Maine, I understand the game-changing implications this project has on the future of education, healthcare, business and overall broadband connectivity throughout the state and especially in more rural areas," said Bob Bailey, nextGen's Project Manager for the Three Ring Binder Network. "We're excited to be part of this large scale project that will showcase our ability to deliver on-time and on-budget as well as our diverse portfolio of fiber optics services, including network design, cable placement, splicing and testing in both aerial and underground environments."

NextGen Telecom Services Group has extensive experience in communications network infrastructure engineering, construction and fiber optics services throughout Maine in a variety of applications, from consumer broadband to renewable energy. NextGen holds a Master Maintenance Service Agreement for TDS Telecom in Maine and has provided construction and fiber optics services for Time Warner Cable, Verizon (News - Alert) Business, Eastern Maine Medical, Maine Medical, the University of Maine, the Brunswick Naval Air Station and the Town of Scarborough, Maine, among others.

About NextGen Telecom Services Group

NextGen Telecom Services Group offers communications network infrastructure engineering, construction and fiber optics services to service providers, enterprises, government and municipal customers through the eastern United States. More information about the company is available at www.ngengroup.com.

About Maine Fiber Company, Inc.

Maine Fiber Company, Inc is a Maine-owned and operated private company, unaffiliated with any telecom carrier, that is overseeing the construction, maintenance and leasing of an open access, 1,100-mile, high capacity fiber-optic network. Maine Fiber Company's investors are providing a private match of approximately $7 million (20%) to complete project funding. The company has a 9-member Advisory Board that provides counsel on the construction and operation of the Three Ring Binder and includes members representing public, private and consumer interests. The project received $25.4 million in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce awarded by Secretary Gary Locke in December 2009 and MFC has been working in close partnership with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to insure speedy, cost effective results in line with the program's rigorous standards.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]