Internet provider GWI files lawsuit against fiber-optic network operator

Source: Portland Press Herald, MaineJan.self storage 13--Biddeford-based Internet service provider GWI filed a lawsuit Monday against Maine Fiber Co., operator of the state's Three Ring Binder fiber-optic network, accusing the company of failing to build the network in accordance with requirements of the federal stimulus grant that funded most of its construction.GWI filed a 37-page complaint in Maine Superior Court alleging that Maine Fiber failed to construct the network "so that affordable broadband access is available to Maine residences and businesses throughout the state."Maine Fiber investor and board of directors member Dwight Allison said the company and GWI have been locked in a dispute over how much money GWI owes Maine Fiber as its largest迷利倉customer ever since the fiber-optic network came online in mid-2012.Allison said he was surprised that GWI filed a lawsuit, since the two companies already had agreed to settle their dispute through mediation.The Three Ring Binder network, which was built with a $25.4 million federal stimulus grant, as well as $7.4 million in private investment, spans 1,100 miles throughout the state, including rural areas that previously lacked high-speed Internet access.J. Craig Anderson can be contacted at 207-791-6390 or:canderson@pressherald.comTwitter: @jcraigandersonCopyright: ___ (c)2014 the Portland Press Herald (Portland, Maine) Visit the Portland Press Herald (Portland, Maine) at .pressherald.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉