Support

We answer the phone.

Real people in Machias, seven days a week — whether you’re on a town road or out past the ferry line. Try a quick fix, walk through the installation guide, or skip straight to a human.

Before you call

Fix it fast

Fix 1

Internet down? Power-cycle first.

Unplug your router and the Axiom ONT (the small box the fiber comes into). Wait two full minutes. Plug the ONT back in first and give its lights a minute or two to settle, then plug in the router. This clears most drops after storms or power blips.

Fix 2

Slow Wi-Fi isn’t slow fiber.

Speed tests over Wi-Fi measure your Wi-Fi, not your fiber. Test with a computer cabled to the router, or at least standing next to it. If wired is fast and wireless is slow, the fix is the router: place it up off the floor, central in the house, and know that older Wi-Fi hardware often can’t pass gigabit speeds. Leasing from us? We support it — just call.

Fix 3

Check if it’s just you.

Storms happen in Maine. Before troubleshooting, glance at the Network Status page — if there’s a known outage in your area, our crew is already on it and you can skip the unplugging.

Getting installed

From the line to your living room

Four steps, start to streaming. Builds differ between our mainland towns and the unbridged islands, so pick your world below. Fees, deposits, and promos vary by community — they live in your town’s panel.

1

Sign up & schedule

Your part: one phone call

Call 207-255-0679 (Option 1). We’ll confirm your town’s fees and call back to schedule the outside and inside work. Billing starts only when both are complete — so you can keep your current provider until your new service is live. Seasonal plans run on a fixed spring-to-fall schedule, with the season’s fee due in full on May 1.

Have ready when you call

  • Service address, plus any access details our installers should know
  • The speed plan you want — your town’s rates
  • Router choice: lease from Axiom, or bring your own
  • A payment method
Mainland

Standard installation is typically $299 for drops up to 500 feet, payable before work begins; longer runs are billed per foot where towns specify it. Watch your town’s panel for free-installation promotions and small deposits credited to your first bill.

Island

Off-shore drops are typically $499 for runs up to 500 feet — boats and barges are part of the job. Connecting while the network is in its construction phase is almost always the least expensive moment; afterward, standard or market-rate installation applies.

Welcome to Axiom Fiber — sign-up and scheduling illustration
2

The outside work (the “drop”)

Your part: usually nothing — no need to be home

A crew connects your home to the network, ending at the Network Interface Device (NID) — a weatherproof box mounted outside, typically beside your power meter or breaker panel. They’ll only knock if something unusual comes up, like a line that must terminate indoors or a protective dog. The finished drop is then tested and certified, which can take a few weeks.

Good to know

  • Multiple powered buildings on the property? Say so at sign-up and choose which one gets the NID.
  • Underground runs use conduit you provide — open, with room to pull a new cable through (spec and inspection details below).
Mainland

Overhead: the fiber follows your existing power lines from the pole to the NID. Underground: we pull fiber through your conduit, and the NID sits where the conduit meets the house — if it terminates indoors, you’ll need to be present and we’ll coordinate the timing.

Island

On the ground: island ledge makes trenching impractical, so direct-burial-rated cable is surface-laid, following the water lines where practical and crossing roads in buried conduit; two small boxes are mounted on the outside of the home. After installation, tuck the cable below the sod with a spade in landscaped or walked areas. Underground: available through conduit you provide, at owner expense. The island backbone itself is submarine fiber from the mainland — cable our own crews have laid on builds like Isle au Haut.

Diagram of an overhead fiber drop ending at the exterior Network Interface Device Axiom crew laying submarine fiber cable from a crane barge off Isle au Haut The gray weatherproof Network Interface Device box mounted outside the home

The NID — the small gray box where our network meets your house.

3

The inside work

Your part: be home — or appoint someone who is

Once the drop passes certification, we call to schedule an Axiom technician. They run the fiber from the NID to one location inside and mount the Optical Network Terminal (ONT) near a power outlet — roughly 6¼″ × 7¾″ × 2″, installed as a permanent fixture (the exact model may vary with availability). Plan on a 60–90 minute visit; we schedule flexibly for part-time residents.

Can’t be there in person? Appoint someone local with the Authorized Representative form (email it to sales@connectwithaxiom.com) and we’ll coordinate directly with them.

Island

Most island owners are seasonal, so the caretaker route is the normal one here — some island broadband committees will even help arrange your representative. And remember: buildings on one property may share a connection (the wiring between them is yours), but sharing across separate properties isn’t permitted — town financing is built on projected subscriber counts.

Diagram of the full fiber path from the street to the indoor Optical Network Terminal
4

Your home network & phone

Your part: plug in a router — or lease ours and we handle it

A wireless router plugs into the ONT with one Ethernet cable and gives the whole house Wi-Fi. Lease from us and we maintain and support the device end to end — or bring your own: capable routers run $50–$300, gamer-grade models are unnecessary for most households, and router technology changes, so check current reviews when you buy.

Want a home phone? Our VoIP service rides the same fiber connection, and you can usually keep your existing number. And TV? We deliver the fast pipe and you choose the streaming services — there’s no Axiom TV bundle, by design.

Diagram of a wireless router connected to the ONT for whole-home Wi-Fi

Planning an underground run? The conduit is yours to provide and must meet specification before the crew arrives. Read the Fiber Optic Conduit Spec Sheet, and if you’d like it inspected ahead of install day, call us and we’ll connect you with an independent inspector.

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

How can I pay my bill?
Automatic payment from Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover, or from a checking account via Automatic Check Withdrawal. You can also pay online through the Axiom&Me portal, mail a check or money order, or call us with a card. Electronic payments from savings accounts aren’t supported.
What billing cycles are available?
Monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or annual — whatever fits how you live here. Seasonal plans are billed annually at the start of the season.
Is there a contract?
In most communities, no — we want you to stay because you like us, not because you signed something. A few partner communities do require one, and some island builds carry an initial term for customers who connected during the free construction-phase installation. Call 207-255-0679 to check your town.
I’m only here part of the year. What are my options?
Most communities offer seasonal plans on a fixed spring-to-fall schedule at a discount, paid up front for the season. Year-round plans are the answer if you need service outside that window. The seasonal rate card for your community is in your town’s panel.
My internet stopped working. What do I try first?
Power-cycle: unplug both your router and the Axiom ONT it connects to, wait two minutes, plug the ONT in first, then the router. Still offline? Check the Network Status page for outages, then call 207-255-0679 ext 197 or email support@connectwithaxiom.com.
Do I have to lease a router from Axiom?
No — leasing is optional. If you lease, we maintain and support the device end to end. If you bring your own, any modern router plugs straight into the ONT with an Ethernet cable; capable models run $50–$300.
Do I need to be home for installation?
For the outside work, usually not — the crew only needs you if the line must terminate indoors or something unusual comes up. For the inside ONT installation, yes: you or your Authorized Representative must be there. The representative form takes two minutes — email it to sales@connectwithaxiom.com.
How long does installation take?
The outside drop is scheduled after sign-up, and its testing and certification can take a few weeks. The inside visit itself typically runs 60–90 minutes. You can keep your current provider until your new service is live.
What are the NID and the ONT?
The NID is the small weatherproof box outside your house where our network physically arrives. The ONT is the indoor unit that turns the light in the fiber into data your router can use — about the size of a hardcover book, mounted near a power outlet. The full picture is in the installation guide above.
Can my guest house or garage share the connection?
Buildings on the same property can share one connection — the wiring between buildings is yours to provide, and we can consult on or build that network at our usual rates. Sharing across separate properties isn’t permitted on community-owned networks: town financing is built on projected subscriber counts.
Do you offer phone or TV service?
Phone, yes: VoIP service is available in most communities over the same fiber connection, and you can usually keep your existing number. TV, no — we deliver the fast pipe, and you choose the streaming services that fit your household. Heavy 4K streaming may simply call for a higher speed tier.

No match for that — try another word, or call 207-255-0679 and ask a human.

Looking for the fine print? Policies & procedures · Conduit spec sheet · Authorized Representative form Bill pay instructions

Still stuck? Call a neighbor.

Our support team works from the same county many of you live in. Tell us what’s happening and we’ll get you back online.