Many Maine communities will get faster Internet options soon.
By Trevor Maxwell
Business Writer

Norway, Rumford and Lisbon Falls – previously isolated from broadband Internet access offered by the state’s largest telecommunications firm – are among several towns recently added to the high-speed list.

Verizon Online has announced an expansion of the company’s digital subscriber line (DSL) service to 22 more communities statewide. The extension essentially doubles Verizon’s broadband network, introduced three years ago in Lewiston-Auburn, Portland, Augusta and other population centers.

Residential and commercial subscribers have driven the demand for expansion, particularly among small businesses that increasingly rely on Internet resources.

“I think it is going to be very well received,” said Tammi Lyons, executive secretary of the River Valley Chamber of Commerce in Rumford.

“We’re all waiting for DSL to hit us,” she said.

Lyons said some residents and businesses in the region get DSL service from Great Works Internet, which serves more than 50,000 customers statewide. Major Internet players in Maine include Time Warner and Adelphia, which offer access via cable modem. Several smaller companies provide local DSL or cable service.

The arrival of the Verizon options should result in a major boost, Lyons said. She guesses that packages will catch on with families already using Verizon for telephone service.

Ed Dinan, president of Verizon Maine, said in a release: “If you’ve wanted DSL service from us in the past but it wasn’t in your neighborhood, now’s the time to check with us on current availability.”

Switching offices that serve nearly 75 percent of Verizon’s access lines will now provide high-speed Internet. Subscribers, however, still need to be located within a certain distance of the local office, usually a radius of three miles. The DSL technology uses extra capacity on standard telephone lines.

Maine politicians weighed in on the topic.

“DSL is becoming available in areas of the state that will greatly benefit in terms of both economic and social development,” said Senate President Beverly Daggett, D-Kennebec, in the Verizon release. “The introduction of advanced telecommunications services has proven to be a strong catalyst for growth, especially in rural areas.”

Added House Speaker Patrick Colwell, D-Gardiner, “(The) commitment to state-of-the-art technology is clearly making a difference for Maine, laying the foundation for the delivery of better education, more efficient government, improved health care, new job creation and a more solid economy.”

Gov. John Baldacci said the expansion will help make Maine businesses more competitive, one of the top goals of his administration.

Communities added to Verizon’s DSL lineup: Bar Harbor, Belfast, Boothbay Harbor, Brewer, Camden, Gardiner, Gorham, Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Lisbon Falls, Millinocket, Norway, Old Town, Orono, Presque Isle, Rockland, Rumford, Skowhegan, Waterville and Yarmouth.

Service in Caribou and Houlton will be available later this month.

Pricing for residential customers who order DSL service by April 30 is $39.95 per month with a one-year commitment, with one free month for orders placed at www.verizon.net. The month-to-month plan is $29.95 for the first six months, then $49.95 per month. With the Veriations bundle, service is $29.95 for the first six months, then $34.95 per month.

For business customers, Verizon offers six DSL plans, ranging from $59.95 to $204.95 per month, depending on several variables. Other prices and promotions may be found on the company’s Web site.

tmaxwell@sunjournal.com