“Pat is the right person to help GWI build on our market momentum to achieve a very innovative, aggressive five-year growth plan,” said GWI CEO Fletcher Kittredge.  “He has a tremendous track record of helping businesses take it to the next level and a deep commitment to growing Maine’s economy.  We are pleased to welcome him to the GWI team.”

Sweeney has over 30 years of experience successfully leading financial as well as marketing and sales functions at a variety of different types of businesses.  He is known as a leader who builds strong teams, implements rigorous financial systems and creates precise growth metrics that help organizations deliver results.  During Sweeney’s one and a half years at MTM, he instituted reliable financial reporting and control systems and helped lead the $50 million, 450 employee newspaper and digital media company during a transitional period between ownership groups.  Prior to that, from 2008 to 2011, Sweeney served as COO and CFO of Maine-based national real estate development and property management firm Eagle Point Companies and helped the $44 million, 160 employee company achieve 141 percent growth.  Prior to Eagle Point, Sweeney held a variety of senior leadership positions at other nationwide and international businesses going back to 1990 including SGS Consumer Testing Services, Intertek Group plc, Contact East, Inc. and Waterville Company, Inc.

“I have looked at GWI’s five year growth and innovation plan and I am excited to join a great Maine-based company with a bright future,” said Sweeney.  “I look forward to joining the talented team in place, rolling up my sleeves and focusing on making sure people have both the information and the resources they need to achieve our growth plan.”

The hiring of Sweeney is one more sign of GWI’s continuing growth and expansion.  Other examples of GWI’s strong growth track record include:

• Recently named to the “INC 500/5000” list of America’s fastest growing companies for the fifth time in ten years with 12 percent growth over three years.

• Leadership in winning the funding to build Maine’s 1,100 mile “Three Ring Binder” rural broadband expansion network that has already earned Maine a “best business friendly infrastructure” rating in a U.S. Chamber of Commerce study. (The network is now run by the independent, vendor-neutral Maine Fiber Company, Inc.)

• Building the Gigabit Main Street fiber network surrounding the University of Maine in Old Town and Orono – one of the first in the nation fiber-to-the-premise (FTTP) business and residential networks and one of the first executions as part of nationwide Gig.U initiative.

• Acquisition of Midcoast Internet Solutions including 2,495 business and residential customers from Bath to Belfast and deep engineering expertise in implementing fixed wireless broadband networks.

• Statewide expansion of high-speed broadband service to business and residential customers across Maine.  GWI service has been extended in Ashland, Madawaska, Lincoln, Danforth and the Goodwin Mills area of Lyman and Dayton in just the past few months. 

About GWI

Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Biddeford, Maine, GWI is a leader in Northern New England’s telecommunication industry offering innovative and cost effective telephone and Internet solutions designed for residential and business customers.  The company has been named one of Inc. Magazine’s fastest growing private companies in America five times – and in 2011, CEO Fletcher Kittredge was named Maine’s Business Leader of The Year by the state’s leading business publication, MaineBiz. With friendly 24/7 Maine-based customer support and best-in-breed technology to ensure fast, secure, and reliable access, GWI makes the Internet easy for business and residential customers. GWI is the local, independent company that knows Maine people. If you’re looking for a local alternative, a company that listens to you and will respond quickly, connect with GWI.  Call toll free 866-494-2020 or contact us online to get connected now.

For more information or to speak with GWI leadership, please contact Tom Janenda at press@gwi.net or 207/590-8815.

GWI offers a suite of broadband Internet, phone, and cloud computing services for business customers.  It also offers phone and Internet services for residential customers.

“We’re proud to have made the Inc. 5000 list for a fifth time in a decade, and thankful to our loyal customers and hard-working employees for their contributions to our continued success.” said GWI CEO Fletcher Kittredge.  “It is an exciting time for the company and we look forward to continued growth and innovation.”

About GWI

Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Biddeford, Maine, GWI is a leader in Northern New England’s telecommunication industry offering innovative and cost effective telephone and Internet solutions designed for residential and business customers.  The company has been named one of Inc. Magazine’s fastest growing private companies in America five times – and in 2011, CEO Fletcher Kittredge was named Maine’s Business Leader of The Year by the state’s leading business publication, MaineBiz. With friendly 24/7 Maine-based customer support and best-in-breed technology to ensure fast, secure, and reliable access, GWI makes the Internet easy for business and residential customers. GWI is the local, independent company that knows Maine people. If you’re looking for a local alternative, a company that listens to you and will respond quickly, connect with GWI.  Call toll free 866-494-2020 or contact us online to get connected now.

For more information or to speak with GWI leadership, please contact Tom Janenda at press@gwi.net or 207/590-8815.

GWI CEO Fletcher Kittredge said of the concurrent projects, “As a Maine-based company, GWI is committed to expanding broadband coverage and economic opportunity to all of Maine’s rural communities and small towns, even as we work to develop the ultra-high-speed gigabit fiber networks to attract jobs and industries of the future to our state.  Our investment in expanding service to residents and businesses in these areas is part of that effort.”

GWI offers stand-alone high speed internet access to residential customers starting at $44.95 per month and residential Internet and phone combination packages starting at $46.40 per month.  GWI’s offers businesses competitively priced high speed Internet, digital phone, Hosted PBX and other advanced services.

GWI’s expansion into these areas is part of a larger effort by the Biddeford-based communications company to expand its broadband coverage in Maine in 2012, and follows the company’s announcements last month that it had begun offering services in Calais, Danforth, Lincoln and Dover-Foxcroft.  Construction is currently underway in additional communities as well the recently announced mixed-use Gigabit Main Street fiber network the company is building in Orono and Old Town.  Earlier this month, GWI also acquired Midcoast Internet Solutions and added 2,495 business and residential customers from Bath to Belfast.

Midcoast Internet Solutions was founded in April 1995 by CEO Jason Philbrook.  The company has grown consistently by offering innovative Internet solutions and fast, friendly Maine-based customer service.  The company offers many services to residential and business clients including, but not limited to broadband Internet, digital phone, private links, and web hosting.  Midcoast was one of the first companies on the east coast to install broadband connection via fixed wireless technologies and offers innovative wireless-to-fiber solutions for many who live on Maine’s islands.  In addition, the company has a track record of building cutting edge Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH) networks.  Philbrook grew the company to $1.6 million in annual revenues and will stay on, remaining in the company’s Rockland headquarters.

Midcoast Internet Solutions CEO Jason Philbrook (Left) and GWI CEO Fletcher Kittredge shake hands on the Rockland waterfront.

“GWI is pleased to join forces with another leading, Maine-based technology company,” said GWI CEO Fletcher Kittredge.  “This is a great fit.  Both companies are focused offering our customers the best technology available in the marketplace – and fast, friendly, local customer service.” Kittredge expects Midcoast’s team to play a key role in his company’s future. “With the advent of the Three Ring Binder, there is the opportunity to bring broadband to un-served areas of rural Maine.  Midcoast’s expertise in fixed wireless and Fiber-To-The-Home networks greatly enhances GWI’s ability to expand broadband coverage statewide.  We welcome Jason and the Midcoast team to GWI. ”

“This is a good day for Midcoast employees and our customers,” said Midcoast CEO Jason Philbrook.  “GWI is the perfect partner with the same commitment to innovation and customer service we have always had.  This is a combination of two great Maine broadband companies and an opportunity to expand both coverage and service in the midcoast.  We look forward to growing as part of GWI.”

While there are likely to be savings of ten to fifteen percent in overhead, there are no job losses anticipated as a result of the acquisition. The combined firm will have 81 employees.  The exact terms and structure of the deal between the two privately held companies were not made public.

“The Midcoast region has always been important to GWI,” said Claude Cestaro GWI’s Vice President of Business Services.  Noting that GWI will keep Midcoast’s current office location in Rockland, Cestaro added, “We look forward to having a Rockland office from which we can more easily build relationships and deliver quality service to customers in the area.”

Midcoast customers will continue to enjoy the same services, pricing, and support they are used to in the coming months.  Customers with questions should feel free to reach out to Midcoast customer service at (207) 594-8277, GWI Customer service at (866) 494-2020, or view the answers to frequently asked questions online.

The Midcoast Internet Solutions acquisition is another step in GWI’s continued leadership, innovation and growth.  The company won funding for the nearly completed 1,100 mile open-access Three Ring Binder rural broadband expansion project to Maine (now run independently by Maine Fiber Company, Inc.).  Last month, GWI announced it is building the “Gigabit Main Street” network in Old Town and Orono communities, giving the towns surrounding the University of Maine campus one of the fastest networks anywhere in the world.  In addition, the company recently announced it was expanding Internet service to business and residential customers in Calais, Dover-Foxcroft, Lincoln and Danforth Maine communities.

About GWI

Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Biddeford, Maine, GWI is a leader in Northern New England’s telecommunication industry offering innovative and cost-effective telephone and Internet solutions designed for residential and business customers.  GWI has been named one of Inc. Magazine’s fastest growing private companies in America four times, and in 2011, CEO Fletcher Kittredge was named Maine’s Business Leader of the Year by the state’s leading business publication, MaineBiz. With friendly 24/7 Maine-based customer support and best-in-breed technology to ensure fast, secure, and reliable access, GWI makes the Internet easy for business and residential customers. GWI is the local, independent company that knows Maine people. If you’re looking for a local alternative, a company that listens to you and will respond quickly, connect with GWI.  Call toll free 866-494-2020 or contact us online to get connected now (http://www.gwi.net/About_GWI/contact_gwi.php).

For more information or to speak with GWI leadership, please contact Tom Janenda at tjanenda@elevate-cc.com or (207) 590-8815.

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This year, GWI has added Lincoln, Danforth, Dover-Foxcroft, and Calais to the map of Maine communities where it provides broadband and phone service.

Biddeford, Maine –  GWI announced today that it has completed construction of network facilities in Lincoln and Danforth, Maine and is now offering its line of residential broadband and phone services, as well as its business broadband, phone, and cloud computing services in those communities.

GWI’s expansion into Lincoln and Danforth is part of a larger effort by the Biddeford-based communications company to expand its broadband coverage in Maine in 2012, and follows the company’s announcement last week that it had begun offering services in Calais and Dover-Foxcroft. Construction is currently underway in five additional communities in addition to the recently announced mixed-use Gigabit Main Street fiber network the company is building in Orono and Old Town.

GWI CEO Fletcher Kittredge said of the concurrent projects, “As a Maine-based company, GWI is committed to expanding broadband coverage and economic opportunity to all of Maine’s rural communities and small towns, even as we work to develop the ultra-high-speed gigabit fiber networks to attract jobs and industries of the future to our state.  Our investment in expanding service to residents and businesses in Lincoln and Danforth is part of that effort.”

GWI offers stand-alone high speed internet access to residential customers starting at $44.95 per month and residential Internet and phone combination packages starting at $46.40 per month.  GWI’s offers businesses competitively priced high speed Internet, digital phone, Hosted PBX and other advanced services.

About GWI

Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Biddeford, Maine, GWI is a leader in Northern New England’s telecommunication industry offering innovative and cost-effective telephone and Internet solutions designed for residential and business customers.  GWI has been named one of Inc. Magazine’s fastest growing private companies in America four times, and in 2011, CEO Fletcher Kittredge was named Maine’s Business Leader of the Year by the state’s leading business publication, MaineBiz. With friendly 24/7 Maine-based customer support and best-in-breed technology to ensure fast, secure, and reliable access, GWI makes the Internet easy for business and residential customers. GWI is the local, independent company that knows Maine people. If you’re looking for a local alternative, a company that listens to you and will respond quickly, connect with GWI.  Call toll free 866-494-2020 or contact us online to get connected now (http://www.gwi.net/About_GWI/contact_gwi.php).

For more information or to speak with GWI leadership, please contact Tom Janenda at tjanenda@elevate-cc.com or (207) 590-8815.

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GWI’s expansion into Calais and Dover-Foxcroft is part of a larger effort by the Biddeford-based communications company to expand its broadband coverage in Maine in 2012. Construction is currently underway in seven additional communities in addition to the recently announced mixed-use Gigabit Main Street fiber network the company is building in Orono and Old Town.

GWI CEO Fletcher Kittredge said of the concurrent projects, “As a Maine-based company, GWI is committed to expanding broadband coverage and economic opportunity to all of Maine’s rural communities and small towns, even as we work to develop the ultra-high-speed gigabit fiber networks to attract jobs and industries of the future to our state.  Our investment in expanding service to residents and businesses in Dover-Foxcroft and Calais is part of that effort.”

GWI offers stand-alone high speed internet access to residential customers starting at $44.95 per month and residential Internet and phone combination packages starting at $46.40 per month.  GWI’s offers businesses competitively priced high speed Internet, digital phone, Hosted PBX and other advanced services.

About GWI

Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Biddeford, Maine, GWI is a leader in Northern New England’s telecommunication industry offering innovative and cost-effective telephone and Internet solutions designed for residential and business customers.  GWI has been named one of Inc. Magazine’s fastest growing private companies in America four times, and in 2011, CEO Fletcher Kittredge was named Maine’s Business Leader of the Year by the state’s leading business publication, MaineBiz. With friendly 24/7 Maine-based customer support and best-in-breed technology to ensure fast, secure, and reliable access, GWI makes the Internet easy for business and residential customers. GWI is the local, independent company that knows Maine people. If you’re looking for a local alternative, a company that listens to you and will respond quickly, connect with GWI.  Call toll free 866-494-2020 or contact us online to get connected now.

For more information or to speak with GWI leadership, please contact Tom Janenda at tjanenda@elevate-cc.com or (207) 590-8815.

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There are very few networks like Gigabit Main Street nationwide, and so the announcement was big news in both local and national news media.  Here are a selection of the articles and broadcasts about Gigabit Main Street in the past week:

Local News Media

“Old Town, Orono residents and businesses to receive ‘super-high-speed’ Internet”
Bangor Daily News by Nick McCrea (May 3)

“It’s coming together in the Bangor region”
Bangor Daily News by Michael W. Aube (May 3)

“Bangor is Poised for Great Things”
Bangor Daily News by John Porter (May 6)

“Internet Service in Old Town & Orono Expected to Get 50-100x Faster”
WABI-TV Channel 5 by Caroline Connolly (May 2)

“UMaine, Nearby Residents to See Next Generation of Internet Access”
WVII-TV Channel 7(May 2)

“Ultra-High-Speed Internet Coming to Communities Near UMaine”
Maine Public Broadcasting by Ed Morin (May 2 and 3)

Interview with Fletcher Kittredge
WVOM Radio

“GWI to build high-speed network around UMaine”
MaineBiz – The Daily (May 3)

“GWI leads nation’s first high-speed Internet hub in Orono”
Biddeford Journal Tribune by Dina Mendros (May 5)

“GWI Internet project shows Maine is a leader”
Biddeford Journal Tribune Kristen Schulze Muszynski (May 5)

National News Media and Trade Publications

“GWI to Build 1 Gbps Network in Maine”
NTCA New Edge – Jessie Ward (May 2)

“U of Maine rolling out super high speed network to campus and surrounding communities”
EdTech Times (5/3)

“Gig.U Network Announcement: University of Maine”
Broadband Communities Magazine (May 3)

“Maine to Get Gigabit Network”
Telecompetitor by Joan Engebretson (May 3)

“Who needs Google Fiber? Orono, Maine, getting 1Gbps broadband network”
PC Advisor by Brad Reed (May 3)

“Who needs Google Fiber? Orono, Maine, getting 1Gbps broadband network”
IDG News Service by Brad Reed (May 3)

“Who needs Google Fiber? Orono, Maine, getting 1Gbps broadband network”
Network World by Brad Reed (May 3)

“University of Maine Rolling Out Ultra-High-Speed Gigabit Community Network”
Campus Technology by Leila Meyer (May 3)

“Orono, Maine Residents to Get 1 Gbps Connections University of Maine and Great Works Internet (GWI) Team Up”
Broadband Reports by Karl Bode (May 3)

“University Of Maine Goes High Speed”
Politico Morning Tech (May 2)

The GWI-built network will be the first gigabit Internet network commercially available to both business and residential customers in the state of Maine. The University of Maine is one of the fastest-moving and leading innovators of the nationwide Gig.U initiative.  Gig.U — The University Community Next Generation Innovation Project – is a broad-based group of 37 leading research universities across the United States seeking to accelerate the deployment of ultra-high-speed networks to leading U.S. universities and their surrounding communities. The creation of these networks will drive economic growth and stimulate a new generation of innovation.  New York Times columnist and author Tom Friedman wrote that the Gig.U effort to create ultra-high-speed networks and applications in university towns is “the only way we can maintain a middle class.” (“So Much Fun. So Irrelevant,” NYT, 1/3/12)

“The University of Maine is committed to serving as a catalyst for technological, economic and job development in the state of Maine,” said UMaine President Paul Ferguson.  “This new Gigabit Main Street network is a perfect example of how we intend to bring people from the public and private sector and the university community together to drive innovation and create economic opportunity.”

Blair Levin, executive director of the national Gig.U initiative, noted at the announcement Wednesday that the University of Maine was one of the first institutions to sign-up to participate in Gig.U and is now one of the first to move forward, in partnership with GWI, to make the idea of Gig.U a reality in Old Town and Orono, Maine. “This GWI Gigabit Main Street deployment will not just benefit the University of Maine community; it will provide Orono, Old Town, and the state of Maine with the strategic bandwidth advantage necessary to lead in the next generation of broadband innovation,” Levin said.

“GWI has always worked to bring innovation and technology together in a way that creates economic opportunity for Maine people,” said GWI, Inc CEO Fletcher Kittredge.  “We were proud to partner with the University to bring the Three Ring Binder network to Maine, which runs from Kittery to Fort Kent and is now owned and run by Maine Fiber Company.  And we are glad to be here today marking another first: The first Gigabit Main Street network available to both business and residential customers in the state of Maine.  This network will be open-access for any company that wants to offer service to customers, and we hope our success here in Old Town and Orono will lead to the development of other networks and increased economic opportunity in university and rural communities across our state.”

“GWI’s Gigabit Main Street network is a great development for businesses in Old Town and Orono,” said Brian Rahill, CEO of RainStorm Consulting, a software development company in Orono that will be one of the first area businesses to benefit from the initiative.  “Having the ability to plug into gigabit network speeds is going to give my company and others in the area a competitive advantage, allowing us to connect seamlessly with clients across the country via high-definition video conference and remote presentations.  We will continue to grow and add jobs right here in Orono without having to move to a bigger market in Maine or beyond.”

The Orono-Old Town Gigabit Main Street Network, Powered By GWI

GWI’s Orono-Old Town Gigabit Main Street network will be built out over two initial phases based on customer demand and network use.  Phase 1 will quickly build out and reach downtown districts and business-heavy parts of both Old Town and Orono.  Phase 2 will expand on Phase 1, based on demand and population density.

The Gigabit Main Street network will provide 125x faster download speeds and 1000x faster upload speed than current offerings.  The network will be built on an open-access model, meaning that GWI will install optical fiber to the business and home and make that network infrastructure available to any service provider who wants to offer service to customers within the network.  The network will also be mixed-use, meaning that it will serve both business and residential customers.

(Phase 1, Phase 2 and beyond to be built based on consumer and market demand.)

What the Old Town-Orono Gigabit Main Street network will mean for businesses and consumers

The difference in performance available to both residential and business customers on the Gigabit Main Street network powered by GWI will be dramatic, comparable to the move from dial-up to current “broadband” speeds – at roughly the same price as their current service.  Dial-up modems delivered speeds of 30 to 56k.  Current broadband speeds are in the neighborhood of 8000k.  GWI’s Gigabit Main Street Network will offer speeds up to 125 times faster than that.

Residential customers on GWI’s Gigabit Main Street network will have access to download speeds that are approximately 125 times faster than current broadband services, and as much bandwidth for uploads – a 1000-fold improvement over current residential connections.  This means home users will be able to stream multiple high-definition videos simultaneously, share high-definition videos and pictures with ease, and make clearer phone calls.  The additional bandwidth will be offered at rates that are comparable to existing services.  GWI will begin offering residential service on the Gigabit Main Street network for $59.95 per month for a quarter gigabit and $89.95 for a full gigabit.

Business customers will gain access to a faster, more reliable broadband network that supports supports skip-free, clear, high-definition video conferencing, high-quality voice over IP, and seamless integration of cloud computing solutions.  Business pricing will be similarly consistent with current market rates and determined on an individual basis per normal industry practice.

Maine’s Congressional Delegation on the Old Town-Orono Gigabit Main Street network

Senator Olympia Snowe:

“Without question, broadband is a necessity for individuals and businesses alike—it provides better access to jobs, education, government, and transforms local markets into global ones.  With this expansion of ultra-high speed broadband to Orono and Old Town, these communities will experience the boundless benefit the Internet has to offer on every facet of our daily lives. It will also guarantee Maine businesses and entrepreneurs have access to the necessary advanced broadband infrastructure that will help them continue to drive strong economic growth and create 21st century jobs.”

Senator Susan Collins:

“Particularly in a rural state such as Maine, expanding Internet access is key to keeping up with global competition and to attracting and maintaining economic growth.  I commend the University of Maine, the University of Maine System, GWI, Gig U, the City of Old Town and the Town of Orono for working together in a public-private partnership to invest in next-generation broadband capabilities that will help open up a world of information, resources, and services.”

Congressman Mike Michaud:

“High-speed internet connections are not only desirable, they are critical to boosting our nation’s research and development infrastructure and the competitiveness of our businesses. The partners involved with this project should be commended for their vision. Efforts like this will help rebuild our economy and position us for future growth.”

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree:

“This is an exciting opportunity where Maine is leading – developing some of the most advanced, ultra-high-speed Internet networks available anywhere in the world.  This Gigabit Main Street network is going to help create economic opportunity and innovation for existing and new businesses.  The University of Maine, GWI, leaders from Old Town and Orono and the local business community have really done a great job working together to make this initiative a reality. I’m confident this success will lead to similar networks across Maine.

About GWI

Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Biddeford, Maine, GWI is a leader in Northern New England’s telecommunication industry offering innovative and cost-effective telephone and Internet solutions designed for residential and business customers.  GWI has been named one of Inc. Magazine’s fastest growing private companies in America four times, and in 2011, CEO Fletcher Kittredge was named Maine’s Business Leader of the Year by the state’s leading business publication, MaineBiz. With friendly 24/7 Maine-based customer support and best-in-breed technology to ensure fast, secure, and reliable access, GWI makes the Internet easy for business and residential customers. GWI is the local, independent company that knows Maine people. If you’re looking for a local alternative, a company that listens to you and will respond quickly, connect with GWI.  Call toll free 866-494-2020 or contact us online to get connected now (http://www.gwi.net/About_GWI/contact_gwi.php).

About the University of Maine

The University of Maine, founded in Orono in 1865, is the state’s premier public university. It is among the most comprehensive higher education institutions in the Northeast and attracts students from across the U.S. and more than 80 countries. It currently enrolls 11,200 total undergraduate and graduate students who can directly participate in groundbreaking research working with world-class scholars. Students are offered more than 90 undergraduate majors and academic programs, 75 master’s degree programs, 30 doctoral programs and one of the oldest and most prestigious honors programs in the U.S. The university promotes environmental stewardship on its campus, with substantial efforts aimed at conserving energy, recycling and adhering to green building standards in new construction. For more information about UMaine, visit umaine.edu.

About the University of Maine System

Established in 1968, the University of Maine System is the state’s largest educational enterprise. It has an annual enrollment of more than 40,000 students and serves more than 500,000 individuals annually through educational and cultural offerings. Two-thirds of its alumni — approximately 120,000 people — live in Maine. The University of Maine System features seven universities — some with multiple campuses — located across the state, as well as nine University College outreach centers, a law school, and an additional 75 interactive distance learning sites. For more information, visit think.maine.edu.

About Gig-U

The University Community Next Generation Innovation Project, or Gig.U, is a broad-based group of leading research universities from across the United States. Drawing on America’s rich history of community-led innovation in research and entrepreneurship, Gig.U seeks to accelerate the deployment of ultra-high-speed networks to leading U.S. universities and their surrounding communities. Improvements to these networks drive economic growth and stimulate a new generation of innovations addressing critical needs, such as health care and education.  Our mission is simple: accelerate the deployment of world-leading, next generation networks in the United States in a way that provides an opportunity to lead in the next generation of ultra high speed network services and applications.

For more information or to speak with GWI leadership, please contact Tom Janenda at tjanenda@elevate-cc.com or (207) 590-8815.  To speak with a University of Maine spokesperson, please contact Margaret Nagle at (207) 581-3745.

The announcement is the latest sign that innovation and entrepreneurship is rebounding in Maine. MCED was part of the Blackstone Charitable Foundation recent announcement of a three-year, $3 million partnership of innovation and entrepreneurship programs with the goal of creating 10,000 new jobs and $664 million in new business revenue over ten years.  In addition, MCED recently announced a partnership with two other Maine technology incubators to develop the Maine Business Incubation System, with the goal of adding 1,000 new jobs in Maine.

GWI was responsible for bringing the 1,100 mile high-speed fiber optic Internet network known as the Three Ring Binder to Maine in 2009. With this new network superhighway on schedule for launch statewide in 2012, GWI has created a new partnership with MCED to insure that new businesses in every part of Maine can take advantage of the technology infrastructure to grow and create jobs.

“With disciplined and rigorous attention to the process of Innovation Engineering, MCED is creating a world class business mentoring and job creation program,” said GWI CEO Fletcher Kittredge.  “GWI is committed to creating economic opportunity in every part of Maine, and we know that requires both access to the physical infrastructure of the Three Ring Binder, and human capital – entrepreneurs – who will now be able to learn how to build successful companies by using the network.  We are pleased to become MCED’s Technology Innovation and Mission Partner and help make that happen across Maine.”

“GWI has a long track record of technology innovation, business growth and passion for creating economic opportunity in Maine” said Don Gooding, Executive Director of MCED.  “They have the exact expertise we need to help MCED and the companies we are mentoring build best-in-class Internet and cloud computing functionality that will allow them to scale up great business ideas and create jobs.  We are proud to welcome GWI as MCED’s Technology Innovation and Mission Partner, and look forward to working together to build a ‘killer app’ for the Three Ring Binder network.”

As MCED’s Technology Innovation and Mission Partner, GWI will be the lead Maine corporate sponsor of MCED programs including:

• The Top Gun Entrepreneurship Acceleration program that combines mentoring, curriculum and community to classes of competitively selected entrepreneurs.
• The Maine Business Incubation System (MeBIS) provides focused, in-depth support to entrepreneurs by utilizing networks and expertise both inside Maine and beyond to create jobs and sustainable enterprises.  MeBIS will serve 240 statewide entrepreneurs by late 2014 and create 1,000 new jobs. Many of these startups will now receive discounted internet and cloud computing services as a result of the new partnership announced today.
• Co-sponsorship of MCED’s monthly Lunch and Learn Program (with Norway Savings Bank).

About GWI

Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Biddeford, Maine, GWI is a leader in Northern New England’s telecommunication industry offering innovative and cost effective telephone and Internet solutions designed for residential and business customers.

The company has been named one of Inc. Magazine’s fastest growing private companies in America four times – and in 2011, CEO Fletcher Kittredge was named Maine’s Business Leader of The Year by the state’s leading business publication, MaineBiz.

With friendly 24/7 Maine-based customer support and best-in-breed technology to ensure fast, secure, and reliable access, GWI makes the Internet easy for business and residential customers. GWI is the local, independent company that knows Maine people. If you’re looking for a local alternative, a company that listens to you and will respond quickly, connect with GWI.  Call toll free 866-494-2020 or www.gwi.net to get connected now.

About the MCED

The Maine Center for Entrepreneurial Development (MCED) is a private non-profit founded in 1997 that assists entrepreneurs building scalable innovation based Maine businesses.

With roots as a traditional incubator that offered entrepreneurs space located on an academic campus, MCED is now a leading edge virtual resource for the most promising startups, regardless of their Maine location.

• Our premiere Top Gun Entrepreneurship Acceleration program combines mentoring, curriculum and community to classes of competitively selected entrepreneurs.
• Campus Ventures, in collaboration with the University of Southern Maine, offers paid student interns and project management to advance entrepreneurs’ technical and business needs in parallel.
• Affiliate and virtual incubation services provide customized assistance to companies on a growth path that may include equity financing.
• Our popular Lunch and Learn seminar series offers a broad entrepreneurial audience informative two-hour talks for ten bucks that provide actionable information.

MCED partners with numerous organizations, and relies on a robust network of volunteer mentors and professional services providers, in order to ensure that Maine’s most promising start-ups receive the assistance necessary to meet their full potential.

For more information or to speak with GWI leadership, please contact Tom Janenda at tjanenda@elevate-cc.com or 207/590-8815.  To speak with Don Gooding at MCED, please contact Don at 207/774-8110 or dgooding@mced.biz.

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BIDDEFORD, MAINE – Leading northern New England telecommunications company GWI, Inc. today announced a new Managed Security Services offering providing businesses of all sizes with best-in-class data security, 24/7 support and flexible pricing packages.

Businesses face new and more sophisticated attacks on their information technology (IT) infrastructure every day, yet not every business has full time IT staff or the specialized network experience to monitor the health and readiness of their protective firewall.

GWI’s new Managed Network Security service offers customers three different plans – Essential, Enhanced and Complete Security – to protect their business infrastructure beginning at $125 per month.

“GWI is committed to being the trusted, local partner business leaders know they can count on to make sure their technology is doing all it can to protect and grow their business,” said GWI CEO Fletcher Kittredge.  “With our new Managed Security Services offering, GWI customers will know their data is secure – and that they have fast, friendly 24/7 support and next business day onsite replacement if something ever does happen.”

In addition to the industry standard managed firewall protection offered in the Essential Security package, GWI’s Enhanced and Complete Security packages give businesses the ability to not only upgrade network security, but also to optimize network performance with tools like these:

• Back-up connectivity – Businesses can integrate a backup Internet connection into their networks for seamless operation should your primary connection fail.
• Performance – Application Control and WAN Optimization features allow businesses to give priority to real time voice and video traffic and other high-priority business traffic, minimizing negative impacts from non business use of your network.
• Simplification – Our managed network appliances consolidate the capabilities of multiple devices into a single, managed and supported device.

“GWI’s mission is to help our customers reduce IT costs and focus on growing their core business,” said Kittredge.  “Our Managed Security Service offering is one more step in that direction.”

To get more information on how your small, medium or large business can increase the security of your critical business information and applications call 1-866-494-2020 to speak with a Maine-based GWI Business Services representative.

About GWI

Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Biddeford, Maine, GWI is a leader in Northern New England’s telecommunication industry offering innovative and cost effective telephone and Internet solutions designed for residential and business customers.  The company has been named one of Inc. Magazine’s fastest growing private companies in America three times – and in 2011, CEO Fletcher Kittredge was named Maine’s Business Leader of The Year by the state’s leading business publication, MaineBiz. With friendly 24/7 Maine-based customer support and best-in-breed technology to ensure fast, secure, and reliable access, GWI makes the Internet easy for customers. GWI is the local, independent company that knows Maine people. If you’re looking for a local alternative, a company that listens to you and will respond quickly, connect with GWI.  Call toll free 866-494-2020 or contact GWI to get connected now.

For more information or to speak with GWI leadership, please contact Tom Janenda at tjanenda@elevate-cc.com or 207/590-8815.

Kittredge was named 2011 MaineBiz Large Company Business Leader of the Year in recognition for the continued rapid growth of GWI and his leadership on broadband expansion in Maine. In his presentation, Kittredge, joined by Colin Haley, his special assistant, will discuss how a liberal arts education provides good preparation for successful careers in this age of globalization. Both Kittredge and Haley will share their personal experiences on how they built on their liberal arts educations as English and history majors to become successful executives at GWI—a technological firm that has been recognized three times by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing private companies in America.

A native of Arundel, Kittredge started Biddeford Internet Corporation in 1994, a company that still operates today as GWI. He led the company’s efforts to obtain a $25 million Federal grant to deploy 1,110 miles of high capacity fiber optic in rural Maine as part of the Three Ring Binder project, later transitioning those funds to independent Maine Fiber Company in order to foster competition and lower broadband costs for rural Maine.

A dedicated advocate for broadband growth and network neutrality, Kittredge serves on the ConnectMaine advisory board in addition to his role at GWI. He holds a degree in English from Colby College and a Master of Computer Science from Harvard University.

Haley, special assistant to the CEO and manager of government relations, served as a staff assistant on Senator Olympia Snowe’s re-election campaign in 2006 and was the Southern Maine Coordinator for Peter Mills’ gubernatorial campaign beginning in 2009. He holds a B.A. in History from Hamilton College, in Clinton, N.Y.

# # #

Media contact: Roberto Noya, UMF Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing, at 207-778-7058, or roberto.noya@maine.edu.

GWI, which offers innovative and cost effective telephone and Internet solutions for business and residential customers in Maine and New Hampshire, was selected for achieving 23 percent growth over a three-year period.

“Making the Inc. 500/5000 four times in the last nine years is a testament to the hard work of GWI’s management team and employees,” said GWI CEO Fletcher Kittredge.  “As a company, we strive to provide our business and residential customers with the best possible technology and fast, friendly customer service at a reasonable price. We are grateful to our customers for the growth GWI has achieved as a result of that approach to providing phone and Internet service.”

About GWI

Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Biddeford, Maine, GWI is a leader in Northern New England’s telecommunication industry offering innovative and cost effective telephone and Internet solutions designed for residential and business customers.  The company has been named one of Inc. Magazine’s fastest growing private companies in America four times – and in 2011, CEO Fletcher Kittredge was named Maine’s Business Leader of The Year by the state’s leading business publication, MaineBiz. With friendly 24/7 Maine-based customer support and best-in-breed technology to ensure fast, secure, and reliable access, GWI makes the Internet easy for business and residential customers. GWI is the local, independent company that knows Maine people. If you’re looking for a local alternative, a company that listens to you and will respond quickly, connect with GWI.  Call toll free 866-494-2020 or contact us online to get connected now.

For more information or to speak with GWI leadership, please contact Tom Janenda at tjanenda@elevate-cc.com or 207/590-8815.

New York – July 21, 2011 — Sidera Networks, the premier provider of fiber optic-based network solutions, today announced that GWI will leverage its Ethernet Services and colocation facilities to extend its reach into Boston and New York.

As a leader in providing Internet and voice solutions to both businesses and residences in northern New England, GWI is one of the fastest growing private companies in the country, according to Inc. magazine. To support and continue this growth, GWI will leverage Sidera’s Ethernet network and colocation facilities to connect its customers in Maine and New Hampshire to points throughout the Northeast, via  one reliable, high-speed fiber optic network.  GWI will also leverage its presence in these major cities to offer out of state service providers cost effective Ethernet connections to some of the most rural parts of Maine via the GWI network.

Sidera’s Ethernet Service combines the reliability and ubiquity of Ethernet with next-generation metropolitan area transport technology. The result is a service that delivers an efficient, fully restorable, easily managed network. Offering dedicated point-to-point as well as switched point-to-multipoint and multipoint-to-multipoint connections, Sidera’s Ethernet Service enables GWI to seamlessly extend its network reach from its local market into the key metropolitan areas they wish to serve.

“Sidera has an excellent reputation for high quality network performance,” said Fletcher Kittredge, CEO of GWI. “With Sidera as our network partner, we are confident our customers will experience outstanding quality and reliability. As a Maine-based company, we are also confident that this new network – stretching from Manhattan to Boston, to Portland to Caribou – will be another step in building the infrastructure needed to attract and grow solid, quality jobs in Maine.”

Sidera’s state-of-the-art colocation facilities at 111 8^th Avenue in New York and 1 Summer Street in Boston will also support GWI’s aggressive network growth plan and enable the expansion of service offerings in these geographies.

“We are pleased that GWI has chosen Sidera as its infrastructure provider for expansion into these two key markets,” said Mike Sicoli, CEO of Sidera Networks. “Combining our Ethernet Service with our Colocation Service creates a total solution that gives companies like GWI an edge in this competitive marketplace, allowing them to enter these cities quickly and efficiently.”

About Sidera Networks

Sidera Networks, LLC www.sidera.net, is the premier provider of tailored, high capacity communications services to carrier and enterprise customers. Sidera Networks offers a comprehensive suite of facilities-based services including: Ethernet, SONET, Wavelength, Dark Fiber, Internet Access, Colocation and more. With a fiber optic network leveraging unique rights-of-way that delivers connectivity to the major metropolitan areas from Maine to Virginia and out to Chicago, as well as access to Toronto and London, Sidera is committed to delivering cost-effective, custom solutions coupled with superior industry expertise, service and support.

About GWI

Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Biddeford, Maine, GWI is a leader in Northern New England’s telecommunication industry. We offer innovative and cost effective telephone and Internet solutions designed for residential and business customers. With friendly 24/7 Maine-based customer support and best-in-breed technology to ensure fast, secure, and reliable access, GWI makes the Internet easy for our customers. Recognized in 2003, 2004 and 2010 as one of the country’s fastest growing private companies by Inc. magazine, GWI is the local, independent company that knows Maine people. If you’re looking for a local alternative, a company that listens to you and will respond quickly, connect with GWI. Call toll free 866-494-2020 or contact us online to get connected now.

A comprehensive 2011 survey of 2,000 Chief Information Officers (CIOs) by renowned technology industry analyst firm Gartner, Inc. found almost half of all CIOs expect to operate their applications and infrastructures via cloud technologies within the next five years in order to increase company growth and reduce costs.

“In order for Maine businesses to compete, win and create economic opportunity here, we are going to have to figure out how best to take advantage of cloud computing,” said GWI CEO Fletcher Kittredge.  “This new GWI Data Center is a first step towards our goal of becoming the trusted partner with the technology expertise, data security and fast, friendly Maine-based customer support business leaders can count on to help make the right decisions.”

Safety, Security & Reliability

The GWI Data Center at 340 Cumberland Avenue in Portland, Maine is a state of the art facility with systems in place to protect and insure availability of customer’s vital business information.  It features:

• Diverse underground power feeds
• A 200 kilowattwatt back-up generator
• Multiple GWI fiber optic connections for reliable Internet and MPLS connectivity
• Electronics safe fire suppression system
• Raised floors
• Redundant cooling systems

Availability

The GWI Data Center will initially offer safe, secure and reliable space to as many as 50 Maine businesses with plans to expand as customer demand requires.  Initial space will be determined on a first come, first serve basis.

In order to provide small, medium and large Maine businesses with options to meet their needs today and in the future, GWI is offering a range of flexible and cost effective options.  Businesses can opt for data center space in Full, One-Half and One Quarter Rack increments.

To get more information on how your small, medium or large business can reduce in-house infrastructure costs and increase security of your critical business information and applications, visit the GWI Maine Data Center online or call 1-866-494-2020 to speak with a Maine-based GWI Business Services representative.

About GWI

Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Biddeford, Maine, GWI is a leader in Northern New England’s telecommunication industry offering innovative and cost effective telephone and Internet solutions designed for residential and business customers.  The company has been named one of Inc. Magazine’s fastest growing private companies in America three times – and in 2011, CEO Fletcher Kittredge was named Maine’s Business Leader of The Year by the state’s leading business publication, MaineBiz. With friendly 24/7 Maine-based customer support and best-in-breed technology to ensure fast, secure, and reliable access, GWI makes the Internet easy for customers. GWI is the local, independent company that knows Maine people. If you’re looking for a local alternative, a company that listens to you and will respond quickly, connect with GWI.  Call toll free 866-494-2020 or contact GWI online to get connected now.

For more information or to speak with GWI leadership, please contact Tom Janenda at tjanenda@elevate-cc.com or 207/590-8815.

CEO Fletcher Kittredge said the upgraded network speeds of either 7 or 20 Mpbs is higher than the new 4 Mpbs National Broadband Plan definition of “broadband” because Maine and the U.S. need to get back to a global leadership position when it comes to Internet speed, adoption and innovation.

Kittredge noted broadband data from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) released last month which shows the United States ranked ninth out of 29 countries for mobile broadband adoption, and 12th out of 33 countries for percentage of households with fixed broadband.

“When Seoul, South Korea has download speeds of 35.8 Mpbs and New York has 11.7 Mpbs download speed – we need to shoot higher than 4 Mpbs if we want to create jobs and opportunities for Maine people,” said Kittredge.  “As a Maine-based company, that is why GWI is implementing a plan to provide customers with either 7 Mpbs or 20 Mpbs speeds for the same or lower price than they are paying today.”

GWI’s speed upgrade project begins July 1 and will take 60 days to complete.  After the upgrade, all residential broadband customers will be on one of two tiers of speed based on the maximum capacity of their line – either 7 Mpbs or 20 Mpbs.  GWI customers will benefit from either faster Internet access, lower monthly costs or both higher speeds and lower costs.  GWI customers do not need to do anything to benefit and will receive information on their upgrade in special postal and email communication from GWI.  Customers can also go to our website to see more information on how their high speed internet access will be enhanced.

GWI’s business customers will receive similar offers on a rolling, forward looking basis based on the terms and timing of their current contracts.

Announcing the new faster speeds available at lower or the same prices, GWI also noted that actual performance improvement customers see will vary based on their lines.  The performance of GWI’s residential broadband services varies according to the customer’s distance from equipment located in telephone company central offices.

About GWI

Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Biddeford, Maine, GWI is a leader in Northern New England’s telecommunication industry offering innovative and cost effective telephone and Internet solutions designed for residential and business customers.  The company has been named one of Inc. Magazine’s fastest growing private companies in America three times – and in 2011, CEO Fletcher Kittredge was named Maine’s Business Leader of The Year by the state’s leading business publication, MaineBiz. With friendly 24/7 Maine-based customer support and best-in-breed technology to ensure fast, secure, and reliable access, GWI makes the Internet easy for customers. GWI is the local, independent company that knows Maine people. If you’re looking for a local alternative, a company that listens to you and will respond quickly, connect with GWI.  Call toll free 866-494-2020 or contact us online to get connected now.

For more information or to speak with GWI leadership, please contact Tom Janenda at tjanenda@elevate-cc.com or 207/590-8815.

Customers with GWI Broadband Only:

Customers Using GWI Phone Service:

^*Note: Actual performance improvement customers see will vary based on their lines.  The performance of GWI’s residential services varies according to the customer’s distance from equipment located in the local telephone company central office. For more information, please contact customer service at 1-866-494-2020.

Thank you for choosing GWI!

Your local, independent Maine-based phone and Internet provider.

What is IPv6?

Believe it or not, the current version of the Internet or Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) has nearly run out of new addresses or locations for new web pages.  IPv4 has approximately four billion IP addresses (the sequence of numbers assigned to each Internet-connected device). The explosion in the number of people, devices and web services on the Internet means that IPv4 is running out of space. IPv6, the next-generation Internet protocol, which provides over four billion times more space, will connect the billions of people not connected today and will help ensure the Internet – and the economic activity associated with it – can continue its current growth rate unimpeded.

What is “World IPv6 Day”?

Global leaders in technology have designated June 8, 2011 as the day for the first global-scale test of IPv6.  Technology leaders, including Google, Facebook, Yahoo, Akamai and over 400 others have registered and signed up to implement IPv6 for 24 hours in order to test the new system and work out any bugs before full implementation over the next few years.  GWI is participating by operating IPv6 upstream to Level 3 Communications – and providing IPv6 service downstream to a leading customer, Bowdoin College.

“GWI is committed to being the partner customers can always depend on for seamless access to the technology they need to grow their business,” said GWI CEO Fletcher Kittredge.  “That is why we are participating in a test for World IPv6 Day and why we are building a fully IPv6 compatible network.”

About GWI

Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Biddeford, Maine, GWI is a leader in Northern New England’s telecommunication industry offering innovative and cost effective telephone and Internet solutions designed for residential and business customers.  The company has been named one of Inc. Magazine’s fastest growing private companies in America three times – and in 2011, CEO Fletcher Kittredge was named Maine’s Business Leader of The Year by the state’s leading business publication, MaineBiz. With friendly 24/7 Maine-based customer support and best-in-breed technology to ensure fast, secure, and reliable access, GWI makes the Internet easy for customers. GWI is the local, independent company that knows Maine people. If you’re looking for a local alternative, a company that listens to you and will respond quickly, connect with GWI.  Call toll free 866-494-2020 or contact us online to get connected now.

For more information or to speak with GWI leadership, please contact Tom Janenda at tjanenda@elevate-cc.com or 207/590-8815.

For more information on World IPv6 Day, go to http://www.worldipv6day.org/index.html.

Tricia joined GWI in September 2009 after working at Tom’s of Maine and UNUM. In her new role, Tricia will be responsible for financial reporting and analysis, budgeting, and the daily operations of the Finance department.

Trevor Jones joined GWI in March of 2010 after serving as Vice President of Marketing for Zone Telecom, INC, and Director of Marketing and Business Development for Country Road Communications. In his new role, Trevor is responsible for all marketing, both product and company related, in both residential and business markets. He is also coordinating the efforts of GWI departments in introducing new products and services.

About GWI
Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Biddeford, Maine, GWI is a leader in Northern New England’s telecommunication industry. We offer innovative and cost effective telephone and Internet solutions designed for residential and business customers. With friendly 24/7 Maine-based customer support and best-in-breed technology to ensure fast, secure, and reliable access, GWI makes the Internet easy for our customers. Recognized in 2003, 2004 and 2010 as one of the country’s fastest growing private companies by Inc. magazine, GWI is the local, independent company that knows Maine people. If you’re looking for a local alternative, a company that listens to you and will respond quickly, connect with GWI. Call toll free 866-494-2020 or contact us online to get connected now.

For more information or to speak with GWI, please contact Tom Janenda at tjanenda@elevate-cc.com or 207/590-8815.

BIDDEFORD, MAINE – GWI, Inc. CEO Fletcher Kittredge was recognized today by MaineBiz as its 2011 large company Maine Business Leader of the Year.

MaineBiz selected GWI’s Kittredge based on GWI’s steady 17 percent growth over the past three years as well as its selection for the third time as one of Inc. Magazine’s fastest growing private companies in America.  Additionally, MaineBiz noted GWI and Kittredge’s leadership in bringing $32 million in federal and private funding to build the 1,100 mile “Three Ring Binder” rural broadband expansion project in Maine.

“I’m honored to receive this recognition on behalf of all of GWI’s employees, our management team and Board of Directors,” said Kittredge.  “GWI’s growth is a result of hard work by our entire team.”

Kittredge also noted the support of stakeholders across the state – from other service providers, to the University of Maine, to State and Legislative leaders, and Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins and Representatives Mike Michaud and Chellie Pingree – for Maine’s successful award of the Three Ring Binder project which is now being built by the independent Maine Fiber Company.

“There are so many people in the public and private sector in Maine who understand that expanding true high-speed Internet access can lead to new economic opportunity in every part of our state,” added Kittredge.  “We look forward to continuing to work with everyone involved to insure Maine makes the most of those opportunities.”

To read the MaineBiz profiles on Kittredge and the other two recipients and see photos and video interviews, go to the MaineBiz Website.

About GWI

Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Biddeford, Maine, GWI is a leader in Northern New England’s telecommunication industry. We offer innovative and cost effective telephone and Internet solutions designed for residential and business customers. With friendly 24/7 Maine-based customer support and best-in-breed technology to ensure fast, secure, and reliable access, GWI makes the Internet easy for our customers. Recognized in 2003, 2004 and 2010 as one of the country’s fastest growing private companies by Inc. magazine, GWI is the local, independent company that knows Maine people. If you’re looking for a local alternative, a company that listens to you and will respond quickly, connect with GWI.  Call toll free 866-494-2020 or contact us online to get connected now.

For more information or to speak with GWI, please contact Tom Janenda at tjanenda@elevate-cc.com or 207/590-8815.

“We’re always listening to our customers and trying to provide them with best in class phone and Internet solutions,” said GWI CEO Fletcher Kittredge. “Hosted PBX is being adopted by our customers because it provides small, medium and large company leaders with enterprise class phone systems and functionality without the typical upfront costs. That is a real business benefit that can help the bottom line during a tough economic environment.”

GWI’s Hosted PBX provides fully integrated, scalable and mobile voice and data communication across a business – from phone to computer and mobile devices – all easily managed from any web browser. The product includes all phone switch features, voice mail, phone service and telephone hardware for a flat monthly fee and, like all GWI services, the system is supported by GWI’s IP engineering team 24/7. All system upgrades, monitoring and technical support are done in the GWI network without expense to the client business. For more detail on GWI Hosted PBX features and benefits, please visit our website.)

“Hosted PBX is a great product that provides powerful new tools and real business benefits to companies of all sizes,” said Claude Cestaro, Vice President of Business Services for GWI. “It’s simple, scalable and affordable – just another example of what we call Smart IP Integration.”

GWI customers are happy with the new system as well.

“Being reachable at all times is critical in our business and at Pro Search, we know it’s one of our competitive advantages,” said Ed McKersie, President of ProSearch. “Our GWI Hosted PBX was a significant upgrade over our old phone system, but what pleased us most was just how flexible the service is. The GWI team was able to customize our new phone system to our specific needs to a degree that I never expected.”

“Switching from our installed phone system to a GWI Hosted PBX has lifted a huge weight off my shoulders,” said Todd MacDonald, Director of IT at Pine Tree Orthopedic Labs. “I no longer need to maintain and support the phone system, and can focus on my business. GWI accomplished the transition from my old system seamlessly, and their support and responsiveness have been second to none.”

About GWI

Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Biddeford, Maine, GWI is a leader in Northern New England’s telecommunication industry. We offer innovative and cost effective telephone and Internet solutions designed for residential and business customers. With friendly 24/7 Maine-based customer support and best-in-breed technology to ensure fast, secure, and reliable access, GWI helps Maine businesses put their broadband to work for voice communications, hosted applications, and cloud computing. Recognized in 2003, 2004 and 2010 as one of the country’s fastest growing private companies by Inc. magazine, GWI is the local, independent company that knows Maine people. If you’re looking for a local alternative, a company that listens to you and will respond quickly – even on weekends – connect with GWI. Call toll free 866-494-2020 or contact us online to get connected now.

For more information or to speak with GWI, please contact Tom Janenda at tjanenda@elevate-cc.com or 207/590-8815.

GWI has received a 60 day extension to its Line Sharing contract. This extension delays the threat of service interruption for our line sharing customers until April 30, 2011.

This is only a short term extension, not a long term contract renewal.  As a result, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to continue providing line sharing service past April 30.  Customers are encouraged to consider and choose one of the three alternatives listed below before March 15, 2011 to ensure that their broadband service will not be interrupted.

Original Post:

GWI recently sent a Customer Alert to 1700 customers regarding the possibility of a Broadband Internet service interruption.  This fact sheet provides more information and background for those customers.

If you did not receive the Customer Alert or have GWI phone service or a standalone GWI Internet service with no phone service at all – you are not impacted by this issue.

If you did receive the Alert, this Fact Sheet provides information and background on the situation and several options to avoid any interruption of your Broadband Internet connection.

The situation:

We have recently been alerted to a situation which may affect Broadband Internet connections for 1700 current GWI customers.  As you may or may not know, GWI and other service providers often share the same lines to provide you with phone and Internet service.  You may have GWI for your Broadband Internet connection and another provider for phone service.

Recently, GWI learned that we would not be able to renew our line sharing agreement with one provider, impacting nearly 1700 current GWI customers.  We do not know exactly when customer services will be impacted as a result of this, but we recommend that the effected customers consider the options below and make a decision by January 31, 2011 to avoid any possible service interruptions.

What you can do to avoid service interruption:

As your trusted Internet provider, we see it as our responsibility to alert you of this unfortunate situation and provide you with three specific options to address the situation as easily as possible.

• For most, the best choice is to use GWI for both Internet and phone services.  As the lines would no longer be shared, this ensures that your broadband service will continue uninterrupted, and because you are getting multiple services from GWI, we can give you are absolute best pricing for all services – combined phone and broadband packages start at just $46.40 per month.
• If for some reason you are unable to change your phone service, GWI offers a new and improved standalone Broadband product that works on its own line without phone service, and offers you the best available connection speed to at your home for a flat rate of $49.95 per month.
• Lastly, you can of course choose another provider for phone, Internet, or both.  We value you as a customer and hope you will choose to stay with GWI.

Please call GWI Customer Service at 866-494-2020 between 8:00AM and 5:00PM Monday-Friday so that we can review your options in more detail and answer any questions you may have. We at GWI apologize for this inconvenience.

We greatly value our relationship look forward to helping you choose your best option.

GWI, which offers innovative and cost effective telephone and internet solutions designed for residential and business customers in Maine and New Hampshire, is among a very small group of Maine companies to have made the magazine’s ranking three times (in 2003, 2004 and 2010).

In addition to providing friendly, Maine-based customer service and achieving 17 percent growth rate over three years for its own products, GWI has been a leader when it comes to insuring that Maine develops a best in the nation telecommunications infrastructure to bring economic opportunity to all parts of the state.  Working with a committed group of state, industry and education stakeholders, GWI won a $25.4 million federal grant for the Three Ring Binder project.  The funds created an independent company (Maine Fiber Company, Inc.) which is building an 1,100 mile, open access, high-bandwidth fiber network stretching from Fort Kent to Kittery.

“We thank Governor Baldacci for taking the time to recognize GWI and the other great Maine businesses in the room today,” said GWI CEO Fletcher Kittredge.  “Inc. magazine’s recognition is a testament to the hard work of GWI’s management team and employees.  We are passionate about the idea that Maine is a special place and continue to believe providing excellent, friendly customer service and creating economic opportunity for Maine people is both a winning long term business strategy and the right thing to do.”

“The leaders of the companies on this year’s Inc. list have figured out how to grow their businesses during the longest recession since the Great Depression,” said Inc. president Bob LaPointe. “The 2010 list showcases a particularly hardy group of entrepreneurs.”

About GWI

Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Biddeford, Maine, GWI is a leader in Northern New England’s telecommunication industry. We offer innovative and cost effective telephone and Internet solutions designed for residential and business customers. With friendly 24/7 Maine-based customer support and best-in-breed technology to ensure fast, secure, and reliable access, GWI makes the Internet easy for our customers. Recognized in 2003, 2004 and 2010 as one of the country’s fastest growing companies by Inc. magazine, GWI is the local, independent company that knows Maine people. If you’re looking for a local alternative, a company that listens to you and will respond quickly – even on weekends – connect with GWI.  Call toll free 866-494-2020 or contact us online to get connected now!

For more information or to speak with GWI leadership, please contact Tom Janenda at tjanenda@elevate-cc.com or 207/590-8815.

If you receive such a communication, GWI encourages you to:

For questionable emails, forward the email to us at support@gwi.net for review and then delete the unsolicited email without clicking on links or opening attachments.

For questionable phone calls, advise us of the phone call by calling Customer Service at 1-866-494-2020.

Click here to view samples of phishing emails.

AUGUSTA – A proposal that would enable faster and more affordable broadband Internet service in 100 rural Maine communities will undergo review Tuesday by a state panel charged with screening projects for possible federal stimulus funding.

Known as the Three Ring Binder, it is one of more than a dozen proposals that the state’s Broadband Strategy Council is reviewing as part of the federal stimulus bill, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

The Three Ring Binder is the result of a collaborative effort among established Maine telecommunications companies and vital Maine institutions to enhance broadband Internet access in rural Maine.  GWI (www.GWI.net), the Biddeford-based Internet service provider, is the lead sponsor of the Three Ring Binder. The project consists of three “rings” of high-capacity fiber-optic cable that would serve as the central arteries for high-speed Internet traffic in rural Maine. One loop will service northern Maine; another will extend from the Mid Coast to Downeast, while a third will enhance Internet connections in Western Maine. In all, the project will feature 1,100 miles of multi-strand fiber optic cable.

The Three Ring Binder will be privately owned and operated by Maine Fiber Company, LLC, and will not be owned or run by any government entity. Maine Fiber, a newly formed private, stand-alone company, will offer low-cost access to the Three Ring Binder’s fiber-optic network on an equal basis to all carriers. These carriers will in turn use the capacity to serve Internet providers and telecommunications companies interested in providing service to rural Maine.

“We believe that a quality, middle-mile network of dark fiber in rural Maine is the key to creating robust competition among broad-band Internet service providers in areas that are currently underserved,” said Fletcher Kittredge, CEO and founder of GWI.

“The Three Ring Binder would give GWI and its competitors a chance to provide affordable, high-speed Internet service not only to approximately 110,000 homes, but to businesses and institutions vital to the state’s social and economic wellbeing,” Kittredge said.

One important beneficiary of the Three Ring Binder would be the University of Maine System. With a statewide fiber network, the university system would be able to expand its own high-speed data network to 10 campuses, and it would enhance the broadband capacity at three of the state’s community colleges.

Local schools and libraries would also have better broadband access. And the project will enable improved communications for 38 government facilities, including 13 of Maine’s county courthouses, 11 county jails, and 14 Maine Department of Health and Human Services district offices.

Health care providers would also be aided in their efforts to cut costs and improve service through the use of modern communications technology. The Three Ring Binder would have direct benefits for the New England TeleHealth Consortium and the Franklin County Healthcare Network as they implement their plans to establish advanced healthcare networks as part of the FCC’s Rural Healthcare Pilot Program.

The Three Ring Binder will be funded through a combination of private funding and a federal stimulus grant. GWI has applied for a $26 million federal grant, and total project costs are expected to be $32.5 million. The federal monies will benefit rural Mainers by greatly enhancing the availability and affordability of high-speed Internet service.
The National Telecommunications & Information Agency (NTIA) of the Department of Commerce and the Rural Utility Service of the Department of Agriculture are administering the federal grant portion.

Additionally, several arms of the State of Maine – including the Governor, the ConnectME Authority, and the Broadband Strategy Council — are reviewing the Three Ring Binder and more than a dozen other broadband projects. Maine will provide recommendations and guidance as to which projects will be most beneficial, but the final decisions on grant awards will be left to the federal government.

The Three Ring Binder addresses a long-identified need in Maine. The lack of affordable, high-speed Internet service is seen as a threat to the rural Maine economy. Even the smallest of Maine businesses need affordable, broadband service to survive. Yet, there is inadequate broadband service throughout much of rural Maine, and rural customers who request broadband service are often told the service is unavailable. Building a high-capacity fiber network like the Three Ring Binder will directly address this problem.

The state established the ConnectME Authority in 2006 to address the need, and since that time, GWI has been working with state officials on the problem. The lack of so-called “middle mile” fiber optic facilities – a high capacity fiber-optic network that can carry traffic from a range of telecommunications providers – has been identified as a primary obstacle to improved access to broadband in rural Maine.

Passage of the federal stimulus package provides the means for solving this problem. And by setting up a middle-mile network open to all competitors, the Three Ring Binder will leverage federal money into the creation of a competitive private market for “last mile” service to individual customers. Those federal grants will be passed on to customers in the form of more affordable Internet connections.

Years ago, providing such backbone infrastructure was the job of Ma Bell. The telecommunications landscape has changed since then, and phone companies today are focused on what they perceive as more profitable enterprises.

The Three Ring Binder will create a true, “dark fiber” network. The private company owning and operating the system will only be in the business of acting as a wholesaler. The wholesale customers of the network would be Internet Service providers and telephone companies, all of which will have access to the network on an open and nondiscriminatory basis. The Three Ring Binder also includes rules that would prevent any one company from monopolizing the capacity of the network.

“The Three Ring Binder does not represent ‘unfair’ competition,” notes Kittredge. “Rather, it establishes an open system that all providers can use on an equal basis. In this regard, Three Ring Binder will promote ‘fair’ competition to the benefit of Maine people.”

BIDDEFORD, Maine, May 15, 2009 – GWI, a locally owned, independent telecommunications company, has announced the completion of a newly constructed, high-capacity fiber optic network between Portland and Brunswick. The new network is available today to businesses along the coastal corridor, including Portland, Falmouth, Yarmouth, Cumberland, Freeport and Brunswick.

Concurrently, GWI is announcing the construction of a new fiber optic network serving downtown Houlton, Maine. The network will be operational in August.

The new network is GWI’s first wholly-owned venture in fiber optic technology, a high capacity alternative to copper and cable. According to industry experts?), the use of fiber optics over traditional public switch networks for voice, internet and data connectivity offers lower costs, much higher speeds, more flexibility and enhanced reliability.

Initially, the new fiber networks will allow GWI to provide businesses high quality voice and data at up to 1gigabit per second, boosting data speed by ten times at lower cost. Residential customers may also have access in the future.

The venture kicks off a partnership between GWI and Nexus Management of Brunswick to offer more data management options to businesses that want their computer data managed off site. Nexus, which has its U.S. headquarters in Brunswick, and Bowdoin Medical are the first GWI business customers to be using the large-capacity GWI fiber optic network.

“This new network adds to the capabilities we can offer to the businesses of Cumberland County, “ stated Claude Cestaro, Vice President of Commercial Services for GWI. “With this latest venture and the new Nexus partnership, GWI can offer business customers in that corridor a wider range of products.”

“The diverse fiber paths that GWI has built into our Brunswick data center will provide our Maine customers with high speed, reliable access to our data center,” explained Fred Masciangelo, Director of U.S. Sales for Nexus. “GWI’s team has created custom business continuity solutions for clients.”

GWI is also in the process of completing a fiber optic network to serve downtown Houlton, with expected completion in about 90 days. “From a data and voice perspective, it will put Houlton on even footing with the urban centers of the state,” said Fletcher Kittredge, CEO and founder of GWI. “Rural access to connectivity is equally important as urban access. In fact, half of GWI’s revenue originates in rural Maine.”

Initial customers using GWI’s new Aroostook network include Houlton Regional Hospital and the University of Maine.

BIDDEFORD, Maine, June 4, 2007 — GWI (GWI), Maine’s largest local telephone and Internet service provider, announces the addition of several new inexpensive calling plans to its phone service offering. GWI also offers its ADSL2+ Broadband service, the fastest available in the state, to residents throughout Maine.

“We are really excited about these new plans because now we can deliver even more affordable phone service options to residents of Maine,” said Fletcher Kittredge, founder and CEO of GWI. “These new plans were designed to give Maine people more choice for their phone service needs. Our unlimited nation-wide calling plan has been very well received, but for those customers who are less frequent callers we now have several plans that will better match their calling needs. At GWI we are committed to bringing Maine residents real choices in both phone and Internet access service.”

GWI’s New Phone Plans

In addition to our Unlimited calling plan, which includes unlimited calling throughout the U.S. and Canada, GWI now offers three new calling plans. Our All-Maine plan is perfect for those whose calls are primarily within the state of Maine as it includes all instate calls at one low price. Our Standard plan is geared to those who call primarily local numbers and includes all calls within the customer.s local calling area. With the Basic plan, you pay only for the phone line and all calls are billed per minute, a good solution for those who don.t make outgoing calls on their land-line very often but want the security of having the line there when they need it.

“All of these plans were designed with our customers needs in mind,” said Kittredge. “We received feedback from customers on what they wanted and needed in a phone service plan, and structured these plans to meet those needs.”

GWI Customers Can Save by Bundling

All of GWI’s phone plans have been designed to provide affordable options for Maine residents. But GWI customers can save even more by combining their phone service with Internet access.

“Most of our plans can be bundled with either high-speed broadband or regular dial-up Internet access, and we charge less for each service than if you purchase them individually,” explains Kittredge. “And since we offer some of the fastest broadband Internet speeds available anywhere, customers can really get more for less.”