FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

News Release

Contact:

Angelynne Beaudry

207-535-4129

FairPoint Upgrades Broadband Service in 6,700 locations throughout Maine

Upgrades allow for improved internet access and speeds in 22 Maine towns, including parts of York County

Portland, Maine (Jan. 17, 2017) - FairPoint Communications1 announced today the completion of broadband expansion projects in 22 Maine towns that extend and enhance FairPoint’s approximately 17,000 mile fiber optic network, which isthe largest, fully-owned and managed fiber-based network in northern New England. As a result of these completed projects, improvedbroadband speeds are available to more than 6,700 locations in Maine --in some areas for the first time.

“High speed internet access fuels Maine’s economic engine by unlocking new ways to be more productive, compete for business far past the storefront, and enable learning beyond the confines of a classroom,” said Jeff Nevins, FairPoint’s Director of Community Broadband Development.“Our team has been extremely busy over the past year completing these broadband projects that bring critical improvements to the “last mile” of FairPoint’s network to increase broadband speeds to these unserved and underserved areas. These projects provide immediate benefit to the locations impacted enabling those in more rural and remote areas to take full advantage of the digital age.”

To help support expansion and operation of broadband services in high-cost areas, in 2015 FairPoint accepted Phase II of the Federal Communication Commission’s Connect America Fund (CAF). The projects in the following 22 towns arefunded through CAF Phase II and the Company’s own significant direct investments:

Acton
Alfred
Ashland
Bowdoinham
Brooksville
Castine
Chapman
Ellsworth
Greenbush
Hammond
Houlton
Lebanon
Linneus
Ludlow
Lyman
Mount Desert
New Limerick
Presque Isle
Sanford
Shapleigh
Somerville
Sutton Island

In YorkCounty, the upgrades were completed on portions of the following streets:

ACTON
13TH ST
APPLE VALLEY LN
AVENUE B
AVENUE C
AVENUE D
AVENUE F
AVENUE G
AVENUE H
COVEWOOD DR
FAIRLANE DR
FRASIER LN
GOOSE POND RD
H RD
HICKORY LN
HOPPER RD
INDEPENDENCE WAY
LIBERTY LN
LILAC LN
LOOP RD
MIDDLE RD
MILTON MILLS RD
NASON RD
PATRIOT LN
ROUTE 109
SAM PAGE RD
SANBORN RD
SPRUCE ST
STONEWALL DR
TATTLE ST
THRUSH RD
WEST SHORE DR
WILLOW ST
WINCHELL LN
YEATON LN
ALFRED
AUTUMN LN
BACK RD
BIDDEFORD RD
BLUEBERRY HILL RD
BRACKETT HILL RD
BURNS LN
CAMP RD
CHURCH ST
CLARK RD
COURT ST
CURRY LN
DEPOT ST
GORE RD
HARVEST CIR
HAY BROOK DR
HELENFIELD DR
IDA JIM RD
JORDAN SPRINGS RD
KALLIS LN
KENNEBUNK RD
LAYMAN WAY
MILLER LN
MOUNTAIN RD
MOUSE LN
MULBERRY LN
OAK ST
OFF RD
PAYEUR LN
POND RD
RAIL RD
RIVERSIDE DR
ROCKY RDG
ROUTE 111
ROUX EXT
SACO RD
SANFORD RD
SCHOOL ST
SCOTT LN
SEVIGNY DR
SHADY LN
SPRINGSRD
STONE RD
SWETTS BRIDGE RD
THOMPSONS WAY
TURTLE TRL
WATERBORO RD
WESTCOTT WAY
WOODCHUCK AVE
WOODS EDGE
LEBANON
OAK ST
LYMAN
ALFRED RD
BARDEN ST
BERNIER RD
BIDDEFORD RD
BROCK RD
BULL MOOSE DR
CRIPPLE CREEK DR
CYR DR
HOWITT RD
IBEX LN
KENNEBUNK RD
LAKESIDE DR
LEBANON ST
OLD KENNEBUNK RD
ROUX EXT
SACO ST
SPRING HILL LN
WALKER RD
SANFORD
1 TS 269
AIRPORT RD
SHAPLEIGH
14TH ST
16TH STREET LOOP
17TH ST
18TH ST
19TH ST
APPLE RD
BLUEBERRY LN
BUTTERNUT LN
CARPENTERS COVE RD
CEDAR DR
CHANNEL CIR
CHICKADEE DR
CILLIE RD
DAHLIA RD
DAISY RD
DAISYE RD
DOGWOOD DR
ELM ST
EMERY MILLS RD
EVERGREEN TRL
GOOSE POND RD
HAWTHORNE RD
HEMLOCK RD
HICKORY ST
HORNBEAM RD
HUBBARDS COVE RD
IVY ST
MOUSAM LK
MULBERRY
POPLAR ST
QUAIL RD
SQUARE POND RD
TOTTE RD
TOWN FARM RD
TREASURE ISLAND RD
SPRINGVALE
OAK ST

Theselocations will now qualify for download speeds of up to 15 Mbps2, based on the distance from the customer location to FairPoint’s servicing equipment,which is more than sufficient speed to smoothly stream high-definition video, browse the web or participate in online gaming.

Since April 2008, FairPoint has invested more than $900 million in its communications infrastructure and technology to bring broadband to northern New England, including building thousands of miles of new fiber optic network across the region. FairPoint’s fiber-based, high capacity network offers customers a better, faster way to communicate.

To find out more details, including internet service speed eligibility, information about prices and bundled plans, or to schedule a professional installation of services, residential consumers can call 1-866.984.2001 and business customers can call 1-866.984.3001.

About FairPoint Communications, Inc. FairPoint Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq: FRP) provides advanced data, voice and video technologies to single and multi-site businesses, public and private institutions, consumers, wireless companies and wholesale re-sellers in 17 states. Leveraging an owned, fiber-based Ethernet network — with more than 21,000 route miles of fiber, including approximately 17,000 route miles of fiber in northern New England — FairPoint has the network coverage, scalable bandwidth and transport capacity to support enhanced applications, including the next generation of mobile and cloud-based communications, such as small cell wireless backhaul technology, voice over IP, data center colocation services, managed services and disaster recovery. For more information, visit

# # #

1Services are provided through operating subsidiaries of FairPoint Communications, Inc.

2Maximum Internet speeds referenced are only available in select areas. Internet speed claims represent maximum network service capability. Actual customer speeds may vary and are not guaranteed. Actual speeds vary based on a number of factors including site traffic and congestion, components within your computer such as processor speeds, memory and hardware and software configuration, content provider server capacity, internal network management factors and customer device capabilities.