PC Magazine released a survey recently that compared internet speed averages across the country. Maine didn't do so well, ending up at 40th:

Maine's in a tough spot on our survey, though you wouldn't know it by asking users. Maine users reported the highest levels of satisfaction with their ISPs—an impressive 62 percent of them claiming to be extremely or very satisfied. Yet the state placed 40th in terms of speed, with an average of just 427 Kbps. Maybe users are too busy enjoying the beautiful coastline and numerous national parks to care about their slow service

The lack of choice in broadband in Maine is a big issue that probably accounts for this. Where I am in Searsmont, I've got one option for broadband (FairPoint), which is about a third as fast as customers in other towns that have multiple provider options.

I'm probably more sensitive to this than most because I use the internet to make a living. Nevertheless, it would be hard to argue that this huge disparity in quality of broadband access doesn't affect Maine's ability to attract and retain businesses.