Some Epsom residents can soon look forward to a service many may take for granted: high-speed internet.

As part of a long-term initiative to expand broadband access in Epsom, the town and surrounding areas in the Suncook Valley – mainly along Route 202 and Route 28 south toward Allenstown – will see over 2,400 new connections of homes and businesses to Fidium’s high-speed fiber internet network over the next few months, with construction beginning on Friday.

“We definitely know there is a need in this community,” selectwoman Meadow Wysocki said. “We hope that with the additional expansion our residents are going to have  additional options, and that will create bare market competitive rates, which will help with some of the costs that are associated with this for our residents.”

The company’s fiber network will provide multi-gigabyte high-speed internet to residents in designated areas, including some places classified as unserved – meaning no internet access – or underserved – indicating slow access, in addition to those already connected. Efforts to increase broadband in New Hampshire, especially in rural places, occur in large part thanks to the state’s Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program, which operates through a $196.5 million grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. 

According to the Fidium, the installation of fiber optic lines along streets and in public utility areas will require digging and workers climbing utility poles. This may cause temporary traffic detours, noise, and dust. Construction should be complete by the end of the spring, company representative Kyle Thweatt estimated, with service beginning around that time. Thanks to the grant money, residents do not need to pay for the fiber installation, only their individual service plans and any necessary home or business installations when the time comes.

The company hopes to work with the town throughout the process. Over the summer, the town of Epsom conducted a survey to assess the needs of its people and businesses when it comes to internet connectivity, with the findings that 287 residents qualified as either unserved or underserved. Then, the state took the data and opened contracts up for bidding by different companies.

“We were a little concerned that because we did not have some of the substantial numbers that some of our surrounding communities or communities up north had concerning expansion to those areas, that we might not have got something on the short term basis, it would be more long term,” Wysocki said. “But because Epsom is a main corridor between Concord and the Seacoast, I think that was to our benefit as far as being an area that helps expand out in the areas that are existing at this time.”

The company plans to stay in contact with residents through mailers, door hangers and construction alerts, in addition to representatives going to neighborhoods. Residents can also sign up for alerts to stay up to date on when service will be ready for installation.

In addition to providing high speed internet access, fiber broadband contributes to economic growth, especially thriving businesses, a rise in self-employment, and an increase in real estate value, according to Thweatt 

For more information, visit https://www.fidiumfiber.com. A map of covered locations can be found at https://batch geo.com/map/epsom-nh-fidium-2024.
 

Rachel Wachman can be reached at rwachman@cmonitor.com