Small businesses across the country tap into wireless technologies every day to facilitate sales, improve customer support, increase efficiency, reach and develop markets, and conduct routine business.

Many of their competitors in rural Maine, however, are being left behind because they lack the basic infrastructure to make wireless technologies both accessible and affordable.

The national merger of AT&T and T-Mobile has the potential to change this situation for the better by expanding coverage into Washington County, upgrading our tech infrastructure, and helping reposition the Maine marketplace for success.

This merger will create higher-paying tech and construction jobs and make our region more attractive for companies that depend on larger amounts of bandwidth to conduct business.

Investment also equals tax revenue for cash-starved communities across the county, and can go a long way toward helping Maine keep younger, more tech-savvy workers, who would otherwise leave the state for better paying jobs with quality benefits packages.

The AT&T/T-Mobile merger is good for Washington County — and good for Maine’s economy as a whole. It will help our state rebound from tough economic times by ensuring affordable access to the global marketplace through wireless technologies much of the country can already access.

What does this mean for Down East Maine? It means businesses — from micro to medium to large — will be able to connect with clients, suppliers and markets globally at high speeds. It means better cellphone coverage across the region, and new economic opportunities for Down East businesspeople, families and communities. In short, it’s a win-win for Washington County and for Maine as a whole.

Harold Clossey

Executive director

Sunrise County Economic Council

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