Infrastructure

Telecommunications

Maine is known for the ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit of its people. Since the days of the first telephone systems, Maine business people have harnessed technology and used it to enhance their ability to do business.

With national communication companies like Time Warner, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile, Maine businesses compete globally while enjoying the many natural resources that the state has to offer. Regional and Maine-based companies like Oxford Networks, Lincolnville, FairPoint, and Otelco provide healthy competition in the telecommunications marketplace, while offering a breadth of options when it comes to meeting a business's communications needs.

Progressive public policy and statewide telecommunication infrastructure have removed geographic and polical barriers, and have placed Maine in the center of the global marketplace. International companies like Fairchild Semiconductor, LL Bean, The Jackson Laboratory and IDEXX Laboratories call Maine home and conduct business all over the world.

STATE-OF-THE-ART INFRASTRUCTURE, REDUNDANT & RELIABLE

Maine has a statewide communications network consisting of multiple providers who provide up to 10 Gigabit Ethernet Services. Connection from Maine to Boston is provided via diverse fiber optic routes at the 10 Gbps level, ensuring redundancy and reliability.

This statewide network is comprised of advanced fiber ring technology allowing for a variety of networks and service types, including: Multi Protocol Switching (MPLS), Passive Optical Networks (PON), Active Ethernet, ATM, Frame Relay, DSL, Ethernet and TDM Pseudowire, bonded copper and T1 loop services, partial and fully meshed wide area networks with TDM, IP and Ethernet points of demarcation at the customer premise.

Residential High Speed Internet Service is available thoughout the state via Fiber to the Premise (FTTP), cable modem, wireless and DSL technologies, enabling many residents to easily telecommute by having the fastest connection possible. Furthermore, Internet peering points within the state of Maine strive to keep Maine traffic in Maine providing fast and dependable connections.

Wireless, cable modem, and fiber optic technologies are available in most Maine communities, allowing businesses the freedom to select the most desirable location in the state. Maine has dark fiber, Ethernet, Cable Modem, frame relay, DSL, ATM, T1, T3, OC3, OC12, OC48… the whole alphabet soup of cutting edge voice, data, and video services.

Maine’s populated areas have access to wireless service provided by AT&T Wireless, U.S. Cellular, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile or Sprint. Cable companies operating in the state are Time Warner Cable and Comcast. Both offer business class service thorughout the state.

BUSINESS SUCCESS STORIES

NotifyMD, the medical-messaging service company that moved into a former MBNA call center in Farmington just a couple of years ago, announced that it will open a second call center in Winthrop that will create 200 jobs.

After NotifyMD opened in Farmington, it expected to open its next call center in the Midwest. Instead, the town of Winthrop and Maine & Company began aggressively selling the company on another Maine location. They had such a good experience with the workforce in Farmington and the town, and with the telecommunications infrastructure, that they decided on Winthrop for their next operations center.

The Tennessee-based company currently has six contact centers nationwide, including the center in Farmington. The new Winthrop operations center will be NotifyMD's largest Care Coordination Center in the country, employing 200 in the next two years. NotifyMD operates centers that act as "virtual doctor's offices" and as interfaces between doctors' offices and patients. NotifyMD serves more than 18,000 physicians in over 40 states.

LL Bean, UNUM, IDEXX, Fairchild Semiconductor, Boston Financial Data Services, the Jackson Laboratories and athenhealth are just some of the other companies whose success is dependent on an advanced and reliable communications system, that are thriving in the state of Maine. These global companies demand the best and most up-to-date technology to run their businesses and they find it in Maine.

PROGRESSIVE PUBLIC POLICY

Maine is on the leading edge of creating a healthy competitive environment in its communications industry based on progressive public policy. Businesses and consumers have a myriad of choices for carriers and services with Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs) operating in every large business market in the state.

Maine’s current public policy on telecommunications is one of the most supportive for economic development in the country. Maine does not tax interstate calls and Maine is one of the most nexus-friendly states in the U.S.

Nexus law defines corporate presence and the tax burdens that come with it. By being “nexus-friendly” Maine creates a safe haven in which call centers and their clients can avoid collecting and remitting sales tax. While other states are actually looking for ways to collect more taxes from nonresident companies, Maine revised its laws to save call centers and their clients time and money.

Strategic planning has ensured that Maine will remain a single area code state preventing the hassle and costs to businesses caused by adding and changing area codes. State policies have also led to more households in Maine having telephone service than any other state.

CONNECTME STATEMENT

In 2006 the Maine Legislature approved the operation of the ConnectME Authority with the goal of expanding broadband access in the most rural, un-served areas of the state that have little prospect of service from a traditional provider.

The Authority is to "identify un-served areas of the state; develop proposals for broadband expansion projects, demonstration projects and other initiatives; and administer the pocess for selecting specific broadband projects and providing funding, resources, and incentives."

Since its creation, the Authority has helped bring high-speed Internet access to 23,000 households in about 100 communities, and has awarded $2.2 million in grants.

SUMMARY

Redundant, reliable telecommunication technology is available in the state of Maine and global companies are taking advantage of the robust network of options. With an educated workforce and commitment to technology infrastructure, the state of Maine is positioned to meet the changing needs of the global economy while retaining the natural resources and character that have become the hallmark of the state.