Tue, 02/23/2021 - 8:15am Debra Hall What are the prospects for expanding broadband access in Mid-Coast Maine? And what would be the advantages of doing so? The Camden Rotary Club hosted a recent meeting on this topic, one of many the club is examining to learn about local economic challenges and foster potential solutions. The guest speaker, Mid-Coast Broadband Coalition Chair Debra Hall, described the successful installation in 2014 of a 1.5-mile municipal fiber-optic broadband network in Rockport. She then talked about the more recent establishment of the coalition, which aims to expand internet access throughout the region. The coalition is raising funds for a feasibility study and design of a system that would bring the advantages of fiber-optic cable and other technologies to towns and rural areas. It includes select board members, technology consultants and citizens from Camden, Rockport, Hope, Lincolnville, Northport, Rockland, South Thomaston, and Thomaston. Representatives of other towns are welcome to join, too. Coalition members regard universal broadband access as a means of expanding educational and economic opportunities, making telehealth more available to seniors, and attracting young families and a vibrant workforce to the area.