Dear Editor:

I am writing in response to those on Southport who are calling for a public utility on our island to compete with the services that we currently receive from Spectrum and others. While I am sympathetic with the cause, I disagree that building a public utility is the best answer.

Like the towns near us, Southport has an extensive network of current solutions built on old technologies. The problem with the current providers is three fold: First: Our seasonal model provides no incentive to build bandwidth that meets summer demand; Second, their monopoly allows them to charge outrageous fees to extend their reach down long driveways or more sparse neighborhoods; Third: their pricing model — essentially a game of chicken — is dependent on negotiating “deals” that are available to those who know (and care) about playing the game — it is not appropriate for our aging and courteous population.

While it may be tempting to throw competition out, a public utility is rife with expense and risk. Annual costs include maintenance (wind and weather), customer service (hired out or done by us) and the existential risk of entering the technology marketplace in addition to the initial $2.5M. The proposal may suit us today but never underestimate technology to surprise us. As bandwidth demand grows even fiber cannot protect us from expensive upgrades (switches) and new technologies and shifts into entirely new models including wireless. We could easily become the very “old dog” that Spectrum has become to us today and this time --- own the problem.

The best solution is for us to work with local competitors like Lincolnville Communications (among others) with whom we could kick-start our service. We can entice, with far less cost, private companies to enter our market with looped fiber and reasonable, transparent, and stable pricing. We can even include room for exceptions like long driveways, the poor, and sparse neighborhoods.

Do not let your frustration with the competitive model seduce us into abandoning it so radically. Managing the problem by engaging good competitors will always burn through less taxpayer money and keep us out of a business in which we do not belong, and do not need to be in, to get satisfaction.

Tom Myette

Southport