News & Insights

In the News 2021

May 2021
Mission Broadband announces hire of Willette as project & operational support manager

New England broadband consulting firm Mission Broadband has announced the recent hire of Lee Willette as project & operational support manager.

Read more
June 2021
Tom Pazdera tapped to head ND Paper’s Rumford division

Tom Pazdera has been named the new vice president and general manager of ND Paper’s Rumford division. Pazdera brings three decades of experience in the pulp, packaging and paper industry with internationally recognized companies including International Paper, MeadWestvaco, Boise Paper and, most recently, as president and unit head of AV Terrace Bay, in Ontario, Canada.

Read more
May 2021
Mission Broadband announces hire of Willette as project & operational support manager

New England broadband consulting firm Mission Broadband has announced the recent hire of Lee Willette as project & operational support manager.

Read more
March 2021
$71M in federal funds will help roll out broadband access for rural Maine

With recently awarded funding of $71 million from the Federal Communications Commission, more rural areas of Maine may receive access to broadband internet over the next seven years.

Read more
February 2021
Mission Broadband announces growth with hire of Santora as project manager

Bangor-based consulting firm Mission Broadband has announced the recent hire of Jean Santora as project manager.

Read more
February 2021
Senators Collins, Rosen Introduce Legislation to Increase Access to Broadband Services to Rural Americans

Bill provides up to $15 billion in matching grants to help bring high-speed Internet directly to homes and businesses. U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) introduced the American Broadband Buildout Act (ABBA), a bipartisan bill to ensure that rural Americans have access to broadband services at speeds they need to fully participate in the modern society and economy.

Read more
February 2021
Greenfield updates on ambulance, broadband, and Crotched Mountain

The rising Wilton Ambulance contract, building a relationship with new Crotched Mountain School operators Gersh Autism, and expanding broadband infrastructure are some of the challenges the Town of Greenfield faces in 2021.

Read more
February 2021
Citybiz Interview with Jim Rogers, CEO HealthConnect Networks and Mission Broadband

James E. Rogers, Jr. (Jim) is president of a growing family of telecommunications companies that include HealthConnect Networks and Mission Broadband. Jim founded his first company, an independent telecommunications and computer consulting firm in 1995.

Read more
January 2021
Broadband expansion critical for healthcare equity

Healthcare providers are still facing hurdles when it comes to connecting with patients, says Jim Rogers, president of HealthConnect Networks and Mission Broadband.

Read more
20222020
For media inquiries,

Survey Results Reveal Gaps
in Broadband Access and Affordability in Maine and NH

In 2020, Mission Broadband launched a regional survey to collect data to identify gaps in broadband infrastructure throughout Maine and New Hampshire. The survey, which received more than 2,600 responses, was shared across the state in conjunction with community groups, towns, and municipalities.

The statewide statistics reveal disparities in broadband access and affordability, a divide that has been exacerbated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Results:
Roughly 47 percent of respondents in Maine and 57 percent of respondents in New Hampshire indicated that their service has not met their needs since the start of the pandemic. This is a significant barrier for workers telecommuting, parents and teachers administering distance learning, and doctors relying on telehealth to treat their patients. In Maine, the top reasons for dissatisfaction included slow connectivity, unreliable service, and affordability. New Hampshire residents experience too many outages in addition to unreliable service and slow connectivity. In Maine, the top functions performed over the internet included telecommuting at 61 percent, K-12 education at 32 percent, and telehealth at 31 percent. In New Hampshire, top functions performed over the internet included online banking, tax filing, insurance, and paying bills. Almost 95 percent considered internet access to be “very important” to their households.

Having adequate internet access is no longer just for entertainment. It is a necessity for the economy and for our livelihoods. These survey results identified broadband challenges experienced by Maine and New Hampshire residents and will help develop the right broadband roadmap going forward.