U.S. Cellular finishes Unity, Dixmont sites

UNITY – U.S. Cellular said Monday that it recently completed construction of additional cell sites in Unity and Dixmont. The Unity site will increase U.S. Cellular’s coverage and network capacity in the town of Unity and provide service along Routes 139 and 202. The Dixmont site will bring added coverage and network capacity to Dixmont and along Routes 143 and 202. The new sites complement U.S. Cellular’s statewide network of more than 250 towers, the company said.

The towers are part of a $16 million network investment in the region in 2008 and were built by U.S. Cellular with support from the federal Universal Service Fund, which “faces the threat of drastic cuts at the hands of the Federal Communications Commission,” the company said.

“This part of Maine lacked quality wireless service. As a result, we identified these communities as a priority for the support the company receives through the Universal Service Fund,” said John E. Rooney, president and CEO of U.S. Cellular. “We know there are many more communities like Unity and Dixmont that deserve reliable wireless service, but it will be nearly impossible to help these folks without support from the USF.”

The FCC has been considering various proposals for cutting the portion of the USF used to support the construction and expansion of cell phone and wireless communication technology in rural areas, but recently opted to delay a vote on the issue originally scheduled for Election Day, Nov. 4, the company noted.