MINOT – Townspeople want cable available to every house and business in town.

The committee looking into renewing the town’s cable television contract – and Mike Edgecomb, Time Warner’s head of governmental affairs for this area – heard that message loud and clear.

“New Gloucester said it had to be everybody or nobody. And Time Warner agreed to it, even for people down on Sabbathday Lake,” Carol Robinson said.

At stake for the nearly 70 people who packed the town office for Wednesday night’s public hearing was not Time Warner’s ability to deliver television programming but rather access to reliable high-speed Internet service.

Service that York Road resident Tina Love called “essential” for education and small business or service providers, with real economic impact.

“I have dial-up. This afternoon I spent two hours to get online,” Love said.

“I’m fighting for 100 percent coverage. We need it. I’m a teacher and know the effect on student learning,” Jennifer Gagnon added.

Gagnon said she polled Minot Consolidated School seventh- and eighth-graders: 32 had access to Internet, 25 didn’t.

That split mirrors cable’s availability in the town as only 668 of the town’s estimated 1,200 residences have the potential to be served.

However, given Minot’s sprawl, convincing Time Warner to expand the system won’t be easy.

Edgecomb pointed out that the existing franchise agreement between the town and Time Warner requires 20 potential customers per mile of cable “or, if people actually sign up, 15 per mile” before Time Warner is obliged to extend service.

Edgecomb noted that in the area currently served, only 278 of the 668 houses that could hook up, have, for a “take rate” of about 40 percent.

Minot’s average subscribers per mile of cable is also comparatively low. Minot, Edgecomb said, has 18.6 subscribers per cable mile. Poland has 25.9, Mechanic Falls has 42. Lewiston has 106.

Residents of the Center Minot Hill Road/Courtland-Blossom Drive area argued that their area has the numbers to qualify.

Edgecomb said the area came close, 19.2 houses per mile to be exact but, pressed by Gagnon with assurances that she could find 15 people to sign up, agreed that a closer look is warranted.

Sensing the weakness of any case they might present, residents of other less densely populated sections of town urged the committee to investigate other providers, if Time Warner wasn’t budging.

With the focus shifted from cable TV to Internet access, Patrick Coffren suggested the committee try a different course.

Small towns all over have butted heads with cable on this, Coffren said. “We might want to consider Wi-Fi for the town.”

Hadfield Road resident Colleen Quint agreed all options should be considered.

“We’re talking about meeting the needs of a growing town 10 or 15 years out in a changing world,” Quint said.

Committee Chairman Bill Perry asked townspeople to contact him ([email protected]) with suggestions, and promised that a survey would be sent to townspeople and at least one more public hearing held before the committee’s recommendations are submitted to selectmen prior to December when the present contract with Time Warner expires.

“Why should one half the town have Internet access and one half not?” Perry asked.