Cumberland County and James W. Sewall Company (Sewall) are pleased to announce the launch of a broadband development research project for Cumberland County and its 28 municipalities. The goals of this planning project are to identify the need and demand for expanded and alternative broadband across the County, predict the construction costs for fiber along major arteries as well as the buildout cost for a complete Fiber-to-the-Home network for each municipality, and offer a range of funding options and ongoing management through a voluntary, scalable regional operating utility.
Sewall was unanimously selected by the review committee for its thorough, responsive proposal which was most closely aligned with the County’s vision for the effort. The committee cited the deep expertise of Sewall’s team members, its extensive broadband consulting experience in Maine and New England, and its commitment to visiting with all municipal officials and surveying businesses and residents in each of the 28 municipalities involved in the research project.
Moreover, Sewall was deemed uniquely qualified because it has already established relationships with all current service providers in the County and in many of the municipalities through its cable franchise renegotiation efforts. Experience with a similar broadband planning project in Franklin County and consumer survey work performed for the ConnectME Authority were cited as other reasons why the County chose Sewall.
The County envisions this project as a first step in its long-term regional commitment to expanding the availability and affordability of broadband service. “We're looking forward to working with Sewall on a playbook for Cumberland County's connected future," said Travis Kennedy, Cumberland County Director of Public Affairs. "Sewall is uniquely qualified to do the kind of research that our communities will need in order to make informed decisions about broadband expansion."
Brian Lippold, Sewall’s VP of Business Development, remarked, “Sewall is honored to play a critical role in planning the development of broadband services throughout Cumberland County. We are confident that the resulting report will serve as an essential guide for County municipalities to use in moving broadband forward and serving all of its citizens.”
About Sewall:
Founded in 1880, Sewall specializes in civil engineering, surveying, energy and utilities, telecommunications, and natural resources consulting. Sewall is owned by Treadwell Franklin Infrastructure Capital, an integrated infrastructure business that focuses on developing and sponsoring the commercial infrastructure of the United States. For further information, please visit www.sewall.com, or call Brian Lippold at (207) 233-2976; Email: brian.Lippold@sewall.com.