In areas like western Maine, which is as rural an area as they come, you would think that the chances for
access to a high-speed wireless network would be as remote as the area itself. That may be true now, but not so in the
future if Governor John E. Baldacci has anything to do with it
According to today’s New York Times, the governor is pushing an initiative, Connect Maine, in order to bring wireless Internet service brought to rural Maine communities that meet a certain population threshold (five people per square mile), which practically covers the entire state, by 2010. Also on the horizon is a plan to bring universal cellular coverage to the state within the next two years. Since it is likely that bringing this kind of acces, especially the hilly parts of rural Maine, will be costly, the state is thinking about funding it from various revenue buckets including tax incentives, subsidies to companies, grants to municipalities, and possibly the federal governemnt’s Universal Service Fund.
The incentive for the state to do this is fairly typical of other areas that are going wireless—it’s a way to attract business as well keep residents in the state from leaving the state to pursue high-end careers where technology is a major part of their jobs. In other words, Maine is looking to raise it’s profile beyond LL Bean and tourism. Will broadband wireless access help the state bring in business? We’ll know by 2010.
