KENNEBUNK, Maine — For many residents, at-home workers and business owners in Kennebunk, internet speeds just got a whole lot quicker.
GoNetSpeed, a high-speed fiber internet provider, recently announced that it completed building its new network in Kennebunk. The service, a $2 million investment by the company in Kennebunk, is now available to more than 2,000 homes and businesses throughout town.
“With a growing and lasting presence in Maine, we are pleased to be complete with our construction in Kennebunk,” said Richard Clark, the president and CEO of GoNetSpeed.
In a press release, the company invited Kennebunk residents and business owners to visit its website, gonetspeed.com, to confirm that its service is available to their location in town and, if so, to sign up for installation.
Stephen Houdlette, the town’s new director of economic vitality, called the new network “great news” for Kennebunk residents.
“GoNetSpeed has been one of the firms in this sector that’s been aggressive about investing in southern Maine,” Houdlette said. “It’s also important now that so many people are continuing to work remotely from their homes, even after the impacts of the pandemic have mostly waned.”
Houdlette noted that Kennebunk, through which Interstate 95 runs, has always had a large number of home-based businesses.
“With remote working, video meetings and e-commerce becoming more common, the need for improving broadband continues to increase,” he said.
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Houdlette, who started as the town’s economic vitality director in July, credited the Kennebunk Economic Development Committee, the Kennebunk Select Board, the Kennebunk Public Services Department and Kennebunk Light and Power District with doing much of the work alongside GoNetSpeed to expand broadband service in the area.
“Kennebunk has been fortunate to have a long history with effective and sophisticated leadership when it comes to infrastructure and public good,” Houdlette said. “The expansion by GoNetSpeed builds on a trend of Kennebunk being competitive about providing residents with a high quality of life.”
Stephen Sawyer, of the town’s Economic Development Committee’s Connectivity Task Force, said local officials began meeting with representatives of Otelco, GoNetSpeed’s predecessor, back in the summer of 2021. Sawyer said the company had expressed interest in Kennebunk.
Sawyer said the town is currently supporting GoNetSpeed’s second-phase network build-out, slated for the west side of the Mousam River in town in 2024. As well, Sawyer said the Economic Development Committee is communicating with other internet service providers with an interest in Kennebunk, “which may lead to increased options for residents in the future.”
Houdlette said that, ideally, the town wants everyone to have the best internet service possible – a scenario that requires resources, time and planning. Toward that effort, he said, the town’s community development department has been partnering with the Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission.
“An important aspect of that work is making sure digital access is a widely enjoyed benefit and that equity and inclusion are a key part of the design for that planning effort,” he said.
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Houdlette said the town is well-positioned for more technology investment in the future. For example, he added, the town can make sure its ordinances provide room for additional conduits to such internet service when new residential developments are built.
“This allows GoNetSpeed or other providers to make changes as the market and technology changes,” Houdlette said. “It’s hard to be ‘future proof,’ but towns have the somewhat unique ability to focus part of their attention on the long view. This leads to better outcomes, it allows flexibility, and it also reduces costs down the road.”
In addition to broadband access, residents and small business owners in Kennebunk also need their cell phones to be connected to the internet when they are “out and about or using public spaces,” Houdlette said.
“This access has a whole different set of technology and feasibility challenges, but it’s something at the top of our list here in Kennebunk,” Houdlette said.
Tyler Fields is your internet guru, delving into the latest trends, developments, and issues shaping the online world. With a focus on internet culture, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies, Tyler keeps readers informed about the dynamic landscape of the internet and its impact on our digital lives.
