NCIC’s Wireless LINC Improvements Bring Greater Connectivity to Coos County

St. Johnsbury, VT (March 19^th, 2013) - Construction has begun on a new 195-foot cell tower on Morse Mountain in Groveton that will improve broadband and cell service for central Coos County. Service from the site is expected to start in the spring of 2013. The Groveton cell tower is the latest enhancement to the Northern Community Investment Corporation (NCIC)’s Wireless LINC system, which is designed to deliver high-speed internet service to un-served businesses and homes across New Hampshire’s North Country and the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont.

NCIC is partnering with the Public Service of New Hampshire (PSNH) to construct the tower. "This project exemplifies the commitment Wireless LINC and its partners have to expand communication services to portions of the region that are not otherwise developing as needed to spur economic opportunity. Yes, there can be technical challenges in bringing advanced telecommunications, but we need our communities to be competitive in today's economy — and we have to press on to achieve it," said Jon Freeman, President, NCIC. "This area has been hit hard and we seek to create a new vibrancy that will help the wellbeing of the people who live and work here. Bringing state-of-the-art telecommunications is a fundamental part of the solution."

Today, Wireless LINC's high-speed service is available from North Stratford, NH and Bloomfield, VT in the north to Lisbon and Lyman, NH in the south and from Jefferson, NH in the east to Barnet, VT in the west; developments continue to expand and improve the solution. The service offers internet speeds up to 54 times faster than 56k dial-up. With two plans, customers can choose the speed that suits their needs. Customers can call 1-866-553-7361 or visit www.wireless-linc.com to learn more.

About NCIC

Established in 1975, NCIC is a non-profit, certified Community Development Financial Institution working to address regional economic challenges. Today, NCIC continues to build partnerships to develop creative and effective solutions to strengthen individual businesses, communities and the region and to create diverse employment opportunities.

NCIC responds in a rapid and unique way to the needs of individual businesses and communities: expanding high-speed Internet access, the promotion of tourism, finding affordable energy solutions, and offering businesses of any size financial and technical assistance.

NCIC serves New Hampshire’s Carroll, Coos and Grafton Counties and Vermont’s Caledonia, Essex and Orleans Counties. NCIC offices are located in Plymouth and Lancaster, NH and Saint Johnsbury, VT. For more information visit: http://www.ncic.org/.