Consolidated Communications launches gigabit internet service Fidium

Jon Phelps, The New Hampshire Union Leader, Manchester
·2 min read

Nov. 15—Consolidated Communications for months has had crews laying the groundwork to bring fiber-optic gigabit broadband internet service to cities and towns across New Hampshire. The service now has a name: Fidium.

The name joins the likes of Charter's Spectrum, Comcast's Xfinity and Verizon Fios.

Consolidated Communications announced the new name on Monday. It is available in nearly 80 New Hampshire communities. Select communities in Maine and Vermont also have the service.

"We have been building fiber for quite some time in northern New England, but this is a whole new customer presence," said Mary Ellen Player, vice president of market management.

The company launched a new set of digital tools in support of the new brand.

The multi-gigabit symmetrical internet service has the same upload and download times.

Consolidated says the service provides speeds 20 times faster than the national average.

Unlike other services, Fidium doesn't share bandwidth, meaning service won't slow during peak internet hours.

The symmetrical offering sets the service apart from other brands, Player said.

"The symmetric speed is really important today particularly because of the video we are all doing working from home or doing telemedicine connection or schooling from home," she said. "That is where that upload speed becomes really, really important."

Consolidated Communications, which offers service in 23 states, hopes to offer the fiber service to 1.6 million customers, 70%, by 2025, including 400,000 locations in New Hampshire.

The pricing will be $70 per month for one gigabit (gig) internet with no data caps, fees, contracts or bundles for the first year. The price increases to $95. The package includes installation and WiFi equipment, including two wireless extenders at no additional cost.

Packages offer a range of speeds starting at 50 megabits per second (Mbps) for $35 a month. After the first year, it increases to $55.

Player said the company is "building actively" in Manchester.

"We hope to have a pretty big chunk of Manchester complete by the end of this year and the beginning of next year and continue that buildout throughout 2022," she said.

A 2018 law change in New Hampshire has allowed municipalities to bond internet service upgrades over 20 years, which is paid for with subscribers' fees. Consolidated has entered into agreement with more than 20 communities, mostly in the Monadnock region.