FirstLight Fiber, Maine Fiber bring high-speed IP services to Maine

FirstLight Fiber, a service provider operating in Upstate New York and Northern New England, says it has joined forces with Maine Fiber Company (MFC) to provide next-generation IP services to business customers in traditionally underserved areas in Maine.

The pair will exploit their respective capabilities to extend services to business companies located along MFC’s existing fiber-optic network infrastructure, also known as "Three Ring Binder."

"Here at Maine Fiber Company, we consider ourselves 'telecommunications problem solvers' in that we are constantly looking to address our customers' most pressing needs when it comes to connectivity," said Jeff McCarthy, vice president of business development for MFC. "In doing so, MFC works with companies like FirstLight to offer exceptional telecommunications services. The fact that FirstLight has built such an advanced and robust IP core in the northeast is one of the main reasons that we chose to work with them. By aligning with FirstLight, we help bring a wider, more advanced set of services to Maine businesses, allowing them to compete more effectively in the global economy."

FirstLight has deployed a low-latency IP network in areas that historically had few options. The company says its IP network is unique in that it was purpose-built to support the needs of businesses in Northern New England and Upstate New York and uses a regional ring architecture where each ring is capable of operating independently. FirstLight asserts it has direct, in-region peering relationships with the most highly trafficked Internet sites, which reduces hops, lowers latency, and improves the overall user experience.

The service provider recently embarked on a network upgrade that will see the addition of 100-Gbps optical transport capabilities (see "FirstLight Fiber taps Ciena for 100G upgrade").

For more information on high-speed transmission systems and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.