Each year, thousands of tourists come to Maine, in part to get away from it all.

We also have learned that many of these visitors don’t want to be entirely cut off from their online lives.

They still want access to the Internet, email and the many applications that run on smartphones and tablets.

In fact, Internet access is crucial to attracting many visitors.

And it’s why availability of wireless broadband is a critical issue for our state’s innkeepers, who are often responsible for providing Internet access to their guests.

They are worried that significant areas of our state do not have the latest wireless technology, and that lack of access can hurt our this critical industry, which employs more than one out of every six workers in our state.

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Our elected leaders at the state and national level need to know how important expanded broadband access and a more reliable broadband network are to our economy and livelihood here in Maine.

As innkeepers, we would rely on this network to keep our state at the top of the list of best vacation spots in America. Our leaders should do their part to promote the expansion of broadband throughout the state and ensure that the tourists who choose Maine know they will still be able to connect to home.

Greg Dugal

Maine Innkeepers Association

Freeport


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