Dear Editor:

Southport Selectmen held the first of two informational meetings leading up to a vote to stop the building of a redundant public broadband network, using local tax dollars, on an island were 90% of us are already well served.

Two representatives of the Island Institute were there as independent advisors. One of the advisors (“Nick”) also sat on “Connect Me,” the state board that made the decision to send $400k of state collected taxpayer money to Southport, supposedly, based on merit.

When Nick was asked why Southport, 90% already served by Spectrum and with only 21 unserved houses (validated by Connect Me’s own standards) received a grant for $400k when other towns with far greater needs got nothing or less, we got broad-brush generalities of Southport’s “great” plan - but no direct answer.

The other Island Institute representative told the audience, incorrectly, that companies like Spectrum and LCI were allowed to ignore the specifics of Southport’s bid request for a 100% redundant government network and suggest their own solutions. This is just not true. These non-responding companies should not be disparaged because they would not oversell something Southport doesn’t need. In contrast, Spectrum and LCI did respond to Westport’s, Jefferson’s and other towns who opted to fix only what was missing.

It is clear that the Island Institute is no fan of Spectrum - they’ve said as much in the past two meetings when Spectrum wasn’t even invited to defend its position. In part that is because communities like the Cranberry Islands have been ignored by companies like Spectrum that could not make a profit there.

The Island Institute’s perspective, however, is disingenuous. Introducing government money to fix problems is the only reason companies like Axiom are bidding on proposals now.

If the Island Institute cannot get past their prejudice, their credence as an independent voice is suspect. Moreover, their board members on Connect Me should be suspected as lobbying against free market solutions rather than actually trying to solve real problems. Revenge is not good policy and certainly is not same as representing the interests of Southport.

Tom Myette

Southport