A Telecommunications Fable: Struggles for Service in Rural Maine

Route Fifty: MOUNT DESERT ISLAND, Maine — The month of October brought not only the glories of fall foliage to this neck of the woods but also a piece of exciting news: residents of Islesford on nearby Little Cranberry Island, would not suffer a threatened termination of the jury-rigged internet service they have been receiving.

It was a small victory in ongoing battles of the rural communities along coastal Maine to maintain basic telecommunications services—and to bring them up to 21st century standards. Not only internet but also telephone services are far from up to date.

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