PORTLAND, ME – During his keynote conversation this morning at Digital New England, a regional broadband summit held in Portland today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) underscored the need to expand broadband infrastructure in Maine and throughout New England.‎

In his conversation with Susan Crawford, President Obama’s former Special Assistant for Science, Technology, and Innovation, and David Edelman, the President’s Special Assistant for Economic and Technology Policy, Senator King emphasized the important role broadband plays in driving economic growth and prosperity across Maine and New England. 

“High-speed broadband is a gateway to economic and educational opportunity in the 21st century‎,” Senator King said. “But right now in Maine, there are too many people who are denied those opportunities simply because they don't have adequate Internet access. Fortunately, we have the power to change that. With the collaborative work of local leaders, the private sector, and all levels of government, we can expand broadband infrastructure and open new doors ‎of opportunity to those who didn't have it before, and in the process, we can improve the economic prospects for our state and put Maine on a path to prosperity.”

Senator King is a strong proponent of increasing investment in broadband infrastructure and modernizing federal programs and regulations to expand‎ access to high-speed Internet. He recently welcomed the White House Broadband Opportunity Council’s report and recommendations on broadband deployment throughout the United States, and emphasized that more work needs to be done to connect communities in Maine and around the country. He and several of his colleagues had previously written a bipartisan letter to the Council’s co-chairs asking them to prioritize expanding broadband for rural Americans.

Today’s summit, Digital New England: A Summit for Regional Broadband Leaders, was co-hosted by Next Century Cities and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The event, which will last all day, also features panel discussions with influential broadband leaders and a keynote address by NTIA Administrator Lawrence Strickling.‎

Next Century Cities is a bipartisan, city-to-city initiative of over 100 communities dedicated to ensuring next-generation Internet access for all. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Other sponsors of today's event include: Tilson, Firstlight, GWI, NextGen Telecom Services Group, Inc., Maine Fiber Company, Axiom Technologies, and Frontier Communications.

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