Sertex Broadband Solutions Awarded Maine Contract

Sertex Broadband Solutions Awarded Maine Contract

Plainfield, CT – June 26, 2025–Sertex Broadband Solutions, a leading provider of fiber optic infrastructure services throughout the Northeast, has been awarded a multi-million dollar design-build contract by the Maine Connectivity Authority (MCA) to engineer and construct the largest segment of the Maine Online Optical Statewide Enabling Network (MOOSE Net). Sertex will be responsible for 450 miles of the project's total 530 miles, bringing affordable, reliable internet connectivity to some of Maine's most rural and underserved communities. MOOSE Net is designed to maximize public benefit and infrastructure resilience.

As a "middle mile" network, MOOSE Net will serve as the internet's equivalent of an interstate highway, transmitting large volumes of data between regional networks and the broader web. MOOSE Net will have the capability of supporting high-capacity fiber connectivity for more than 11,000 homes and businesses as well as 200 community anchor institutions, including schools, libraries, and healthcare facilities.

Once operational, MOOSE Net will provide a strong platform for future expansion, serving customers such as internet service providers, data centers, tower operators, wireless carriers, and other similar entities that deliver "last mile" connections to homes, businesses, and community anchor institutions. Engineering and permitting on the project began in April, with construction scheduled to begin this fall. The project is expected to be completed within two years. Communities MOOSE Net will passthrough can expect to see crews in the field as the deployment progresses.

Sertex, based in Plainfield, Conn., secured this highly competitive contract by demonstrating extensive experience in broadband infrastructure development and a strong commitment to workforce training and safety. MCA's selection criteria emphasized project cost, timing and the ability to attract and develop a local workforce — including line workers, fiber optic technicians, and aerial and underground construction teams. Sertex plans to open a new regional office in central Maine in 2025 and to create sustainable, high-quality jobs.

In partnership with the Maine Department of Transportation and The University of Maine System, MCA secured a $30 million competitive grant from the National Telecommunications Information Administration's (NTIA) Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program. Maine's proposal was one of just 32 selected from a pool of more than 260 applications submitted to NTIA.

"Maine's low population density and rural geography make it difficult to attract the same investment that other states have seen over the past two decades. We are excited to work with Sertex with their proven track record of delivering a network of this scale, and one that is so critical for our State. MOOSE Net will ensure that Maine has the broadband infrastructure that communities and businesses need to thrive and grow," said Andrew Butcher, President of the Maine Connectivity Authority.

"We are honored that MCA has selected Sertex to help build the essential, 21st-century broadband infrastructure that Maine's residents and businesses need. With a proven track record in developing middle-mile fiber optic networks, Sertex has been at the forefront of broadband expansion for more than a decade," said Michael Solitro, Sertex Founder and CEO. "In 2009, through the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program, Sertex led construction of the 350-mile OpenCape network in Eastern Massachusetts. Since then, we have expanded that network to more than 500 miles and have developed additional networks in Falmouth and Hyannis."

Shawn Harmon, Vice President of Sertex, will lead MOOSE Net operations. "As someone born and raised in rural Maine, I'm very proud to be part of a project that will deliver high-speed internet to the state's unserved and underserved communities. Sertex specializes in building broadband infrastructure in remote and challenging environments, and we have a proven track record of handling difficult terrain, weather extremes and complex permitting processes. We're excited to welcome hardworking Maine residents to our team as we construct this vital network," Harmon said.

To download the MOOSE Net FAQ and view an interactive map, click here.

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