10/23/2009 If you have a child participating in the MSAD #75 MLTI Laptop program and you do not have broadband access at home, we would like to hear from you. Please fill out the survey or contact us through the contact page.

10/16/2009 From the Bowdoinham Selectboard Minutes of 9/23/09 - Town Manager's Report:
Broadband Update – The Town Manager reported that she is in the process of mapping the town to determine broadband availability. She has information from Comcast regarding its coverage area and is asking the same of Fairpoint. Also, she is in contact with Phillip Lindley of ConnectMe regarding the grant process for expanding broadband in Bowdoinham. In the last grant cycle, the towns of Edgecomb, Arrowsic, and Jefferson received grants. The town of Edgecomb is partnering with Midcoast Internet Solutions for an infrastructure build out and the town of Arrowsic is partnering with Fairpoint for the same.

10/16/08 Items for sale
Hughesnet HN7000s system for sale includes: HN7000s 2-way modem (serial # HJNM7G12D 03853493 Q) with power supply, DirecWay .74M 2 way Satellite dish with roof mount hardware and LNB. LNB was replaced in April 2007. Asking $150 obro.

Also have DW6000 2-way modem (serial # H1M47F1D603367205), no power supply for this. Asking $25

No cables for system. Cables from dish to modem didn't survive UN-installation - needed to be cut to remove from wall.

Account was closed out after fulfilling contract and was in good standing. Everything was in good working order when shut off. I have EVDO internet access now so don't need hughesnet any more.

Local to Bowdoin, Maine only, would rather not ship.
Please contact me through the contact page if you are interested in any of these items. --Jen Richardson ______________________________________________________________________________________________
Wilson Dual-Band Omni External antenna w/12 feet of RG-58 cable, 3 way Mount with Spade Stud. - $50.00 (brand new, set up but never used)
This antenna is a Dual Band Omni External antenna that does not require a ground plane. The antenna can be installed in a standard 3/8" * 24 threaded mount OR you can use the 3 Way Mount to mount the antenna to:

* Mirror on Truck, RV or Coach
* Ladder on RV
* Boat
* outside of house, office

Features:
* Dual-Band & Tri-Mode: 800MHz & 1900MHz Analog and Digital (Works with Verizon, Sprint and Cingular)
* Compatible with all Cellular, PCS and iDEN providers
* Works great on Semi Trucks, RVs, Boats, Homes or almost any other application
* No ground plane required: built-in ground plane allows for use on any surface - Metal, Fiberglass, Wood, etc
* 19" Fiberglass mast raises antenna above most obstructions
* Fits standard 3/8" * 24 threaded mount
* Over 10 times more signal than a device used inside vehicle without an external antenna

Specifications
Frequency Range 806-894MHz, 1850-1990MHz
Impedance 50 Ohms
Antenna Gain 5.12dBi (806-894MHz), 6.12dBi (1850-1990MHz)
System Gain 10 - 15dB
Radiation Omni
Polarization Vertical
Wavelength 0.9 (806-894MHz), 1.95 (1850-1990MHz)
Ground Plane Built-In Ground Plane
Connector FME Female
Coax Cable 12' RG-58
Height 32.625"
Mount Standard CB 3/8" * 24 Thread

Also have 25 ft Cable Extender for EVDO Omni External with Amplifier - $25.00 (brand new)
This is a Times Microwave LMR-240 Low Loss Cable for the Omni External Antenna.

This cable is perfect for installing a repeater in an RV. This cable has FME female connection at one end, and FME Male connection at the other.

Others claim "low loss", but this actually is! On the 25 foot run the loss at 850 MHz is only 1.8 dB and at 1900 MHz it is only 2.8 dB

Please contact me through the contact page if you are interested in any of these items. --Jen Richardson

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05/20/08 Letter from Seth Berry:
First, Jennifer Richardson and I want to thank you for being part of our effort to bring more high-speed internet choices to Bowdoin, Bowdoinham and Richmond. Yours is one of over 100 households that responded, and this information has helped us advocate.

There is lots to celebrate! First, both DSL and portable, cell-phone services have expanded coverage to many new homes in our area. Additional expansions are also expected soon. In addition, the Town of Bowdoinham is renegotiating its cable franchise and hopes to see expansions in some areas as a result.

Since our March 13 meeting at Bowdoin Central School, we have become more optimistic that DSL and EVDO cell service will likely cover almost all of our area within a year.

At this time, we have decided that the ConnectME application is not viable. Rather, we strongly encourage you to reach out to Fairpoint, Sprint, Verizon, and other providers to let them know of your interests. Then, please encourage your neighbors to do the same.

To learn about new and emerging options, contact either of us directly, or visit Jen's great EVDO information page to learn about portable cell-based service.

After checking for new options at your home address, and/or signing up for future service, we encourage you to contact one of us to provide an update. Our goal remains complete coverage in our area, and we will not give up until this goal is reached.

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03/31/08 I have updated the online and print survey to ask respondents about how much they would be willing to pay for broadband and/or VOIP services. On 3/26/08 I met with Phillip Lindley, Executive Director of the ConnectMe Authority and Amy Spelke, utility analyst with MPUC. We went over the application process for grant money.

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03/14/08 The committee had its first meeting on March 13. We met with representatives from RedZone Wireless and Midcoast Internet Solutions to learn more about fixed wireless broadband. Our next step is to concentrate on the unserved areas of Bowdoin, Bowdoinham, and Richmond and find out how many residences are in these areas, how many want access to broadband services, and how much they are willing to pay. We will be reworking the current survey to include price points and will concentrate on getting these out to the unserved areas of the towns. Our goal is to partner our towns with a wireless internet provider and submit an application for grant money through the ConnectME Authority.

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02/20/08 Now is the time to work on expanding broadband internet access to the un-served areas of Bowdoin. I would like to set up a committee of Bowdoin residents to work on this endeavor. This committee will eventually include Bowdoinham and Richmond residents, also. Our first order of business should be to meet with the Bowdoin Board of Selectmen. We need to find out the following:

1. When is the contract with Comcast up for renewal?
2. View the coverage maps provided to the town by Comcast.
3. Find out if there is a committee set up to work on the cable contract renewal process.
4. Find out what town government is doing to bring broadband internet access to the un-served areas of Bowdoin, what town resources are available to us, and what we can do to help.

I would like to plan our first meeting for early March to make sure we have an agenda for meeting with the board of selectmen in Bowdoin. If you are interested in working with Seth Berry and me to bring broadband internet access to the un-served areas of Bowdoin, please visit the Contact page and fill in the Contact form. Thank you.

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01/17/08 As you may have read, a small broadband expansion was announced on 1/15/08 for DSL service in Bowdoinham. What is not made clear in the release is that this expansion only applies to those within 3.4 miles of the central terminal in downtown Bowdoinham -- an area that for the most part, already has cable coverage. Verizon has promised to complete the central Bowdoinham service expansion by the end of the month. At that time, please call Verizon at (800) 870-9999 to request service if you are in this part of Bowdoinham.

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11/29/07 After the holidays we need to form a committee to meet with our town leaders and ISP providers to form a plan for providing broadband service to the unserved areas of our towns. This will also give us time to find out if the Verizon/Fairpoint deal will go through or not and also find out what areas of our communities will benefit by the $12 million Verizon DSL deal.

If you are interested in being a committee member please visit the Contact page and fill in the Contact form. Thank you.