Dover, Somersworth, Madbury and Concord all part of ABB expansion plans

Atlantic Broadband, the cable operator that already serves much of the Greater Rochester, has begun construction in several new local cities and town in the Seacoast area.

ABB, the nation's eighth-largest cable operator, announced on Tuesday they have launched an $82 million growth plan for the current fiscal year that will extend fiber-broadband services into numerous communities located in New Hampshire and West Virginia.

The expansion initiative will extend the company's reach to nearly 70,000 additional homes and businesses in the two states.

Franchise applications have been obtained or are under way in the cities of Concord, Dover and Somersworth and the towns of Durham and Madbury in New Hampshire, according to a press release sent The Rochester Voice on Tuesday.

Andrew Walton, head of corporate communications at ABB, said they'll begin communicating with residences and businesses in each community starting in early 2022, alerting them to activation timelines, which will vary by community.

"Pre-construction and/or construction activity has already begun in communities where we have obtained franchise agreements,," Walton told The Rochester Voice.

He added that for underground construction, ABB will be establishing new paths for its fiber facilities.

As part of this expansion, Atlantic Broadband will connect residential and business customers in these communities with Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) technology.