FAQ

General
Service Plans
Technical

General Questions

  • Yes! It’s easy to save money by getting your TV and home phone services over the internet with Leeds Broadband. Click here to learn more about savings by getting the services you want over the internet.

  • We have active service now! Subscribers are activated as construction passes the premises and services are installed.

  • Leeds Broadband is owned by the Town of Leeds and is under the charge of the Leeds Selectboard. The Leeds Selectboard appoints members to the Leeds Broadband Committee. The Leeds Broadband Committee actively oversees the network and provides guidance to the Selectboard related to Leeds Broadband matters. The Leeds Broadband Committee will meet regularly (at least quarterly) to review network performance, budgeting, and other Leeds Broadband related matters.

  • Axiom is a contractor hired by the Town of Leeds. Axiom is a Maine based internet operator who will manage the day-to-day operational tasks of providing services and making network repairs. Axiom will also administer the network, provide customer service, and provide technical staff. Per the Operational Agreement between the Town of Leeds and Axiom, the network must be operated in accordance with strict service level standards. The Town of Leeds will review Axiom’s performance annually, with the option to retain an alternative operator if the service is not performing adequately.

  • For wifi support or technical questions: To ask questions or report problems, call Axiom toll-free at 1-866-708-7998 or their local number 207-255-0679. All calls are answered locally by folks right here in Maine.

    For general questions: If you have more general questions about Leeds Broadband or are unsatisfied with Axiom’s service, feel free to email the Leeds Broadband Committee committee@leedsbroadband.com.

    Also feel free to attend one of the Leeds Broadband regular public meetings (contact the Town Office for a meeting schedule).

  • Leeds Broadband offers broadband internet service to all residents in the Town of Leeds. While Leeds Broadband does not offer telephone or television service directly, there are many telephone and television service providers that offer service via the internet. In fact, there are many more options for telephone and television service through the internet and often at a cost savings compared to the local utility companies.

  • It’s up to you! Leeds Broadband customers may choose to lease a router for $7.50 per month, or they may purchase their own WiFi router. A variety of WiFi Routers are readily available for purchase at major electronics retailers.

  • The Leeds Broadband network will have redundant backup systems (battery and generator) to continue service through power outages. If you (the subscriber) have power at your home or business, the internet service should remain on. We recognize that not all subscribers have a generator or other power source available at their home or business. As such, a battery backup system with approximately 8 hours of capacity is available for lease for a fee of $14.99 per month. This battery backup system would ensure that your service stays active and your WiFi network remains operational during a power outage.

Service Plan Questions

  • If you are unsure about your data needs, we suggest starting with the base service with a symmetrical 100 Mbps download and upload speed. This is a true broadband service and is faster and more reliable than any other service currently offered in the Town of Leeds.

  • The majority of subscribers only require standard installations. This includes running a new fiber optic cable from the street to the subscribers home, as well as installing necessary equipment on premise. The most common exception is for certain underground services. Please note that a standard installation does not include more advanced or custom networking within the home. For more details on a standard installation, please review the attached document from Axiom.

  • Yes, a seasonal option is available. Seasonal plans start on May 1st and run to November 1st. These plans must be paid for annually and are offered at a discount of 15% compared to standard (full year) plans.

  • Leeds Broadband can deliver speeds as high as 10G symmetrical. If you need service faster than our standard service options, please reach out to us to discuss. We are prepared to offer customized services on a case by case basis.

  • Broadband is a level of internet service traditionally defined by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). This definition has evolved over the years as technology has advanced. Currently, the FCC defines broadband service as 25M/3M speeds, however that is likely to change soon. The Maine Connectivity Authority considers households with available speeds less than 100/20M to be unserved and those with available speeds less than 100/100M to be underserved. Leeds Broadband’s base service is 100/100M and offers even faster speeds (up to 10/10G) to those who need it.

  • 100/100M is a shorthand way of describing an internet data speed that is 100 Megabits per second to download data and 100 Megabits per second to upload data. The important thing to note is that it is symmetrical, meaning the download speed (speed at which you receive data) is the same as the upload speed (speed at which you send data).

    Other internet services offered with cable television or telephone services are not symmetrical and oftentimes only advertise the faster download speed, while giving you a much slower upload speed.

  • Fiber-to-the-Home, sometimes abbreviated as FTTH, is a form of internet network that delivers data service directly to individual homes with fiber optic cables. In general, fiber optic cables are used across many internet networks, even those operated by the telephone and cable companies. However, it is often that the telephone or cable company will use phone lines or television cable to deliver the internet service, which degrades the quality of the data connection. A FTTH network connects a fiber optic cable directly to each subscriber without other types of cable or connections along the way.

  • There are a lot of reasons for fiber optic cables being the best way to connect to the internet. DSL (phone) speeds may start strong, but degrade quickly as it travels down copper phone lines. Similarly, cable television lines can be used to offer solid download speeds, but fail to deliver equal upload speeds. Cellular data can be surprising as speeds are good sometimes, but get bogged down quickly during periods of heavy use. Satellite services can also suffer from significant latency (delay in data transmission) as signals are sent from the ground and into space to the orbiting satellite.

  • Leeds Broadband offers internet service. We encourage you to seek service from a number of free online providers such as Google (gmail) or Microsoft (outlook). We suggest contacting your existing mail service provider to see how services (such as @fairpoint.net or @roadrunner.com) can be maintained after switching over to Leeds Broadband. Check out the article at this link for step-by-step instructions on how to make this change.

Technical Questions