BEAD Planning & Process
Introduction
​​
The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program is funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will provide Maine with a $272 million grant that will bring critical resources to fund broadband infrastructure and digital equity for the entire state. The BEAD program prioritizes Broadband Serviceable Locations (BSLs) that are unserved (less than 25/3 Mbps) and underserved (less than 100/20 Mbps).
​
Over the past three years, MCA has worked diligently to fulfill the many requirements of the BEAD process, including drafting a Broadband Action Plan, developing two volumes of Initial Proposals, conducting a State-Led Challenge Process, executing an initial subgrantee selection process, and culminating with the Benefit of the Bargain round of applications. MCA is grateful for the ongoing support and partnership of our ISP applicants (and local, regional and statewide partners) who have contributed thousands of hours of collective effort to the BEAD Program.
Maine's BEAD Final Proposal
Following the conclusion of the latest application process, review and negotiations with internet service providers, we are proud to share the provisional BEAD Program outcomes that outline how funding will be distributed to connect 23,260 homes and businesses to high-speed internet.
Please note: these results are provisional and still need to be officially submitted to and approved by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).
The high-level provisional outcomes of Maine's BEAD Subgrantee Selection Process include:
-
100% coverage for all locations
-
$2,080 average subsidy per location
-
$48 Million in BEAD deployment funding provisionally awarded
-
$109 Million in matching funding from applicants
-
25 Projects with 6 ISP Partners
-
Diverse technologies, including 85% Fiber, 14% Low Earth Orbit Satellite (LEO), and 1% Hybrid Fiber/Coax
Provisional BEAD awards to ISPs include:
With these results, MCA is pleased to release Maine's BEAD Final Proposal. This proposal outlines the plan to serve the remaining 23,260 homes and businesses in Maine with reliable affordable broadband internet, taking us one step closer to closing the digital divide for all people in Maine. On September 3, MCA submitted Maine's Final Proposal to the NTIA for review and approval. The NTIA has committed to reviewing final proposals within 90 days.
BEAD Final Proposal
Project Service Areas (PSAs), BEAD Eligible Locations, Community Anchor Institutions (CAIs)
In response to the NTIA BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice, MCA is releasing below several updated, materials and tools related to the Maine’s BEAD Subgrantee Selection Process. All final versions, and new additions, are linked below:
BEAD Guidance for Qualified and Interested Applicants
Updated Materials
As a result of the Policy Notice, MCA will need to incorporate required operational and programmatic changes. In total, MCA now has 90 days to complete all outstanding aspects of the BEAD Subgrantee Selection Process and submit Maine's BEAD Final Proposal to NTIA. The timeline to the right highlights key milestones within this new restructure.
BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice
​​​
On June 6, 2025, the National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA) released the Restructuring Policy Notice that called for updates to the BEAD Program.
Application Portal Links & Question Redlines
Unlicensed Fixed Wireless (ULFW) Notice
As part of the Policy Notice released by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) on June 6, MCA is required to release the following notice to ULFW providers which intend to submit evidence and remove locations they claim to serve from BEAD eligibility.
BEAD Program Plans
Volume 1 includes:
​
1.1 Existing Broadband Funding
​
1.2 Unserved and Underserved Locations
​
1.3 Community Anchor Institutions (CAIs)
​
1.4 State Challenge Process
​
Volume 2 includes:
2.1 Objectives, 2.2 Local, Tribal, and Regional Broadband Planning Processes, 2.3 Local Coordination, 2.4 Deployment Subgrantee Selection, 2.5 Non-Deployment Subgrantee Selection, 2.6 Eligible Entity Implementation Activities, 2.7 Labor Standards and Protection, 2.8 Workforce Readiness, 2.9 Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs)/Women’s Business Enterprises (WBEs), Labor Surplus Firms Inclusion. 2.10 Cost and Barrier Reduction
2.11 Climate Assessment, 2.12 Low-Cost Broadband Service Option, 2.13 Middle-Class Affordability Plans, 2.14 Use of 20 Percent of Funding, 2.15 Eligible Entity Regulatory Approach, 2.16 Certification of Compliance with BEAD Requirements,
Maine's BEAD Subgrantee Selection Process​
Pre-Qualified Applicants
Project Kuiper (Amazon)
Axiom Technologies
Charter Communications
Consolidated Communications
Comcast
UniTel (Direct Communications)
GWI
INTUS Group
LCI Fiber
Outer Reach Broadband
Pioneer Broadband
Rivahnet (Union River Telephone)
Sebago Fiber
Starlink (SpaceX)
UScellular
Wireless Partners
​
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Phase 2: BEAD Project Application
-
Pre-Qualified Applicants approved in Phase 1 will be invited to submit project applications for BEAD funding.
-
Applicants will provide project-level information, including a bid for specific Project Service Areas (PSAs).
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Phase 1: Prospective Applicant Pre-Qualification Evaluation
-
Prospective applicants will submit organizational-level information (technical, financial, operational and managerial capacity) that demonstrates their ability to meet the requirements of the BEAD program.
-
Applicants will also be presented with a map of draft Project Service Areas (PSAs) and asked to indicate which they intend to apply for. Learn more about PSAs below.
​​
The Subgrantee Selection Process (SSP) is a two-step process through which MCA will evaluate and select prospective applicants and determine how BEAD funding will be distributed to specific Project Service Areas (PSAs). ​​
​​
During the State-Led Challenge Process, individuals, nonprofit organizations, units of local government, and internet service providers then had the opportunity to challenge any of the BEAD-eligible locations that MCA identified. Fundamentally, challenges were submitted to determine whether a location has internet speeds below or above 100/20 Mbps. If eligible challengers could provide evidence that a location was misclassified, the location could become eligible for BEAD funding. Once a location was challenged, an eligible challenger could either uphold or refute that challenge and provide further evidence. MCA then adjudicated challenges and rebuttals, the outcome being that final list of BEAD-eligible locations which were then submitted to the NTIA for approval.
​
​On November 14, 2024, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) approved Maine's State Led Challenge Process data resulting in the final list of locations and Community Anchor Institutions eligible for BEAD funding. MCA will now work to finalize the BEAD Project Service Areas (PSAs) reflecting this final data ahead of the BEAD Project Application. MCA is not required to re-run Maine's State-Led Challenge Process according to the BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice, however location eligibility will need to be updated based on certain definitions.
​​
Maine's BEAD State-Led Challenge Process was MCA’s opportunity to create an accurate map of locations where BEAD funding can be deployed in Maine and represents the next step in unlocking Maine's $272 million BEAD allocation. MCA published an initial list of all served, unserved, underserved locations, and Community Anchor Institutions (CAIs) in Maine in our BEAD Initial Proposal, Volume 1. That list was then refined with the final list of locations being using to conduct the State Led Challenge Process published here.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​​​​​​​​​​
Maine's BEAD State-Led Challenge Process​
Educational Modules
Resource Exchange modules break down complex processes into bite size units. Feel free to read each unit in order, or use the tabs to skip to the units you're most interested in!
State-Led Challenge Process
Subgrantee Selection Process
This module explores the milestones of Maine's BEAD State-Led Challenge Process, and ways to engage by audience, to develop an accurate map of BEAD-eligible locations in Maine.
This module explores the milestones of Maine's BEAD Subgrantee Selection Process, how Project Service Areas (PSAs) were developed to serve all BEAD-eligible locations in Maine, and how MCA will determine awards to qualified applicants.
