Raymond, Windham and other Cumberland County citizens and
business owners have an opportunity to provide information by participating in
surveys to express their opinion with current internet offerings and future broadband needs. Why is there a need for
these surveys and why is it important to take few minutes to answer questions
regarding broadband and internet access?
In the August 24, 2018 edition of The
Windham Eagle, it was explained in this way:
“It was only about 20 years ago
when the popular use of dial-up internet hit the mainstream, changing the way
the world communicates and completes business. Blast forward to the 21st
century where high-speed internet has changed life further, affording many the
freedom to create home-based businesses, provide financial savings via online
learning as well as the ability to ‘cut the cord’ from cable television.
But much like a well-traveled road that requires expansion
to continue the swift pace desired, the speed and availability of the internet
is quickly changing. For those in rural areas like Windham and Raymond, the
internet is unable to keep up with the traffic and demands of its residents,
students and business owners.”
And some say that road is owned by only one company, thus
monopolizing costs. It has also been said that the company can determine what
information can travel and be accessed on that road. The truth of the matter
must be determined by the individual and thus the reason for the surveys.
But there is some truth that the slowing internet access can
pose a problem for those who need to respond quickly in order to compete
successfully as a business.
At the present time, Raymond citizens and
business owners have two survey opportunities. One is a public information
survey made available by Cumberland County and the other is produced by the private
company, GWI, which is supported by the Town of Raymond and can be found on the
town’s website (Links to both surveys below).
Kerem Durdag, Chief Operating Officer, of GWI stated that
the purpose of the GWI survey is to determine the various service level and
affordability options and to investigate methods of providing the needed
services based upon the result of the responses. “We are applying for a very
competitive federal loan to provide an option of fiber optic based broadband
and high-speed internet services to rural communities in Maine. As a condition
of the application, a survey must accompany the process,” Durdag explained. “GWI
is taking the entire financial risk if the federal loan is awarded so that
municipalities don’t have to and can move forward, no matter the outcome of the
federal application process.”
Durdag also stated that the GWI survey is designed to
take only 60 seconds of an individual’s time.
Travis Kennedy, Director of Public Affairs for Cumberland
County stated in a recent email to municipal partners, “The purpose of the [public]
survey is to study broadband in the region and identify means to expand or
improve access at regional levels in communities that end up deciding they want
to pursue it. We earned a Federal grant last year to hire a contractor who
we're working with on this project. A big first step in this process is surveying
community need and desire; and the business community is paramount to that data
gathering, because economic development is so much at the core of the need for
stronger Internet access. It's also one of the key questions that municipal
leaders ask, because they like to see evidence whenever a public investment
might result in a stronger economic base.
Tom Bartell, Executive Director of Windham Economic
Development Corporation encourages Raymond residents to take both surveys and
Windham residents to participate in the Cumberland County survey. He indicated
that both are trustworthy surveys and adhere to the mission of improved
internet service. “GWI and Cumberland County surveys are both reliable surveys
and will do what they say they are doing, which is to determine the wants and
needs of the community” he said.
Bartell also stated that there will be other internet
surveys that may come out soon, but he warns
they may have an ulterior motive, such as to get you to
purchase their product, of which Cumberland County and GWI do not have.
“We're agnostic about method here; we're not trying to sell
anything. It may be that we'll learn in some communities, this isn't viewed as
an issue and those towns can move on to other concerns. Ultimately, our goal is
to get the information and then help develop concrete plans to respond to it,”
stated Kennedy. Durdag concurred with Kennedy in response to the GWI
survey and added that the details of the respondents who fill out the surveys
are protected by its very strict privacy policies.
The links to the surveys are as follows:
Raymond residents and business owners only: GWI - www.gwi.net/fiber-survey/
For both Raymond and Windham residents and business owners: http://cumberlandcounty.org/broadband
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