There are a dozen or more people on this road who make their living at home. Of these most, if not all, consider the internet essential to their work. A few years ago, after many letters, much urging, and an article in Downeast Magazine, Fair Point Communications put in the necessary equipment at the end of the road, and we were connected to the internet by way of DSL. In the meantime the digital expectation of clients many of us deal with on a daily basis has risen beyond the capabilities of our DSL service.

About a year ago, I wrote Fair Point indicating that a good number of us on this road would be willing to underwrite the cost of extending the fiber optic cable from the beginning of our road two miles to the end. The answer was that the service was not available.

On Dec. 5, 2014, I wrote the governor. The gist of the letter was that if he was serious about his claim of being pro-business, that the most effective way to promote business in Maine is to bring internet service in the state up to business standards. Most businesses in Maine have few employees and many are single-person operations. On this road, every business is a single or two-person operation. There are people who must rent space in Bath or Brunswick just in order to get faster internet service. This expense is an unnecessary burden. I never got a response from the governor.

State policy of late promotes tax abatements and other subsidies to large corporations in order to lure them to the state. Much of the profit from those corporations does not stay within the state. Virtually all the money earned by small businesses stays right here. Is it not time to bring our internet infrastructure up to world class standards? Many developing countries have figured this out. If we are to compete, we must have the tools, furthermore, there are many of us who would be willing to help underwrite the cost.

Bart Chapin
Arrowsic