D.C. Memo: Biden-Funded Maine Muni ISP Runs into a Problem – Competition
◾ Charter Drops 117K B'band Subs ◾ FCC OKs Purchase of CBS News ◾ Carr Good with Court on TV Rules ◾ NextGen TV Gets TV Owner’s Pushback ◾ Who is Array Digital Infrastructure? ◾ USDA Gutting DC Staff
BREAKING: Charter, parent company of Spectrum, today released its financial and operational results for the second quarter and first half of 2025. For the quarter ending June 30, 2025, Charter saw a decrease in its total Internet customer base, which fell by 117,000, bringing the total number of Internet customers to 29.9 million. On a positive note, the company reported significant growth in its mobile segment, adding 500,000 new mobile lines during the second quarter. As of June 30, 2025, Charter served a total of 10.9 million mobile lines. The results highlighted Charter's ongoing shift toward expanding its mobile service offering, despite a decline in its broadband customer growth. During the second quarter, Charter agreed to buy Cox Communications for $34.5 billion in a deal pending before federal regulators.
Maine: A Biden-funded broadband project is on the ropes. In tiny Arrowsic, Maine, the risks of government-funded broadband networks are on full display. The Arrowsic Broadband Authority, formed in 2020, sponsored a locally built broadband network that has been up and running since March, 2024. The $1 million project (which included federal American Rescue Plan Act support) delivers high-speed Internet to about 500 area residents for the first time after private providers declined to offer service. But now there’s a problem, and it’s called competition. Fidium Fiber, owned by Consolidated Communications, has entered the market offering one-year starter rates 40% below the monthly fees on the Arrowsic Broadband Authority rate card. “Now, local officials are urging residents not to switch to maintain their business model,” according to a July 23 article in the Maine Monitor. The Arrowsic system, operated by Axiom Technologies, has 85% penetration. “Losing even 20% of its customer base would be a ‘critical problem,’” said Arrowsic Commissioner Vince Capone. Fidium’s entry was unexpected based on past decisions to stay away. “It came as some surprise when all of a sudden we started seeing, essentially, a duplicated system being built on top of ours. If it wasn’t actually happening, it would be laughable,” said Arrowsic Commissioner Don Hudson. Fidium can roll out service quickly in Arrowsic because Consolidated owns the telephone poles “The local group had to pay tens of thousands of dollars to put its cables on them. That ownership has made it simple for Fidium to begin installing its own fiber without any approval from Arrowsic officials,” the Maine Monitor reported.
