Isle Au Haut receives broadband with new sub-sea cable

Sinking cable and connecting Islesboro, population 71, with a fast, reliable broadband system. (Photo courtesy Pioneer Consulting)

Isle Au Haut installed its first subsea telecommunications cable Sunday, Nov. 10, establishing broadband access for the year-round island community.

The 10km submarine cable connects Isle au Haut to Stonington on Deer Isle, which has terrestrial connections to the mainland.

Axiom Technologies spearheaded the project and will provide services via the now-installed cable. Axiom commissioned Pioneer Consulting to provide key advice and connect the project to pivotal resources.

Funding for this project came as a $1.2 million grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the State of Maine as part of a larger $28 million grant administered by the Maine Connectivity Authority and intended to support broadband expansion into underserved, and especially rural, communities.

“Like municipal power and introduction of telecommunications before it, access to high-speed internet is a transformational project for Isle au Haut,” said Mark Ouellette, President and CEO of Axiom, in a news release. “Broadband is a critical link for sustainable communities. It can support local businesses, attract year-round residents, encourage remote workers to settle on the Island, and enhance the cultural and economic life of the whole community. Axiom is proud to be at the center of this critical project.” “

Sub-sea cables benefit communities like Isle Au Haut that want to avoid large microwave towers that disrupt natural vistas, said Gavin Tully, Managing Partner at Pioneer Consulting. "Unlike most of our long-haul, international projects, Isle au Haut has given us the opportunity to work directly with the end-users, the people themselves, who will benefit from this broadband service.”

Newington N.H.-based SubCom was chosen to supply the link of the subsea cable. Due to the variable and sometimes rocky nature of the Maine seabed, SubCom offered its SL17 Special Application fiber optic cable to ensure long-term survivability.

“SubCom is pleased to supply the cable for this vital project,” said David Coughlan, CEO of SubCom. “Connecting communities is what we’re all about. And as a New England company, it's a special opportunity to take part in connecting a place we know and love so well.”

Axiom is working to deliver broadband services to rural communities and to connect them to each other and to the world. Over the past decade, Axiom has designed and constructed more than 100 access points connecting more than 2,500 square miles in one of America’s most challenging terrains — rural Maine. For more information, visit connectwithaxiom.com

Pioneer Consulting provides counsel to guide clients through the full process of subsea cable installation, while also providing valuable technical and commercial insight about the submarine telecom industry. Pioneer has completed 150-plus projects, spanning every ocean across six continents. pioneerconsulting.com

SubCom
SubCom engineers, manufactures, and installs subsea fiber optic data cables, the unsung heroes of global communication. SubCom offers flexible end-to-end building blocks for the high-tech networks that are the backbone of the world's digital infrastructure. Since 1955, SubCom has deployed enough cable to circle the equator more than 21 times. For more information, visit subcom.com