FairPoint Communications (NASDAQ: FRP) says it can now offer 100-Mbps downstream and 75-Mbps upstream broadband rates to more than 58,000 local businesses and residential customers in eight southern New Hampshire communities, thanks to a recent upgrade of its fiber-optic network.
Customers "who currently qualify for fiber service" in Portsmouth, Salem, Atkinson, Plaistow, Epping, Exeter, Hampton, and Nashua (home of Lightwave World Headquarters) can access the 100-Mbps service, Fairpoint says. The company also plans to offer packages with 50-Mbps and 75-Mbps download speeds.
Fairpoint agreed to acquire Verizon’s infrastructure and customers in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine in early 2007 (see “Verizon and FairPoint agree to merge operations in northern New England”). FairPoint says it has invested more than $700 million to improve the communications infrastructure in these three states since April 2008. This includes the deployment of thousands of miles of new fiber-optic cable. The company recently announced Gigabit Ethernet services in the three states as well (see "FairPoint brings to 1-Gbps Ethernet to New England footprint").
"FairPoint can now offer even faster Internet speeds for residential and business customers in eight communities in southern New Hampshire," said Pat McHugh, New Hampshire state president for FairPoint. "Since April 2008, FairPoint has invested more than $1 million a week, on average, to build and support the technology infrastructure that underpins the success of the region, its businesses and families. We're excited that this investment in our network has opened new doors for our customers, by offering a better, faster way to communicate."
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