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New Broadband Action Plan will guide the investment of $200+ million in federal funding for digital equity and infrastructure

A regional victory and vision for highspeed internet access for all

The Maine Connectivity Authority is joining community leaders in Franklin County to celebrate the completion of a nine-town broadband expansion project and a new grant award to Wilton to further expand broadband.

The Maine Connectivity Authority launches Reach Me Line Extensions.

The company said it's spending $14 million to expand its high-speed internet service in Brunswick, Topsham, Harpswell, Freeport, Durham and Bowdoinham.

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The Maine Connectivity Authority is launching a new program to provide targeted support to Broadband Utility Districts in Maine.

Digital Equity and Accessibility was the topic of the state’s first ever Digital Equity Workshop.

Broadband Utility Districts (BUDs) provide an ownership model that plays a critical role in helping enable regional scale impact for improved connectivity and digital equity in Maine.

MCA's President, Andrew Butcher's op-ed about how to offer balanced solutions to the goal of connecting all Mainers to reliable, high-speed internet by 2024.

Reach Me Line Extension awards in Caribou

The Maine Connectivity Authority awarded the new funding through its Reach Me program.

MCA announces Reach Me Line Extension program awards.

$20 Million ‘Reach Me’ Grants to be Matched by $13 Million in Private Investment

“There are limited dollars, so we have to make choices,” says Andrew Butcher, president of the Maine Connectivity Authority. “If labor access is prohibitive or even if just geographic conditions are prohibitive, we absolutely are going to need to evaluate how to deploy alternative solutions.”

MCA continues to grapple with mapping misalignments from the FCC and it relates to BEAD funding.

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A Coalition of Local Leaders and Community Partners Will Increase Awareness of Federal Program That Provides up to $30 per Month Toward High-Speed Home Internet.

MCA's President, Andrew Butcher, names two key hurdles to broadband access in Maine: the sheer rurality of the state and, on a related note, community capacity to drive demand.

MCA-funded projects in the Blue Hill Peninsula area come to completion with residents accessing Fidium Fiber in the coming weeks. This will culminate in the MCA event: https://www.maineconnectivity.org/shine-share-event-rsvp-blue-hill

Maine has opted to combine our digital equity and infrastructure planning, so digital equity will be woven throughout the plan being developed by MCA and will also result in a separate stand alone digital equity plan for the state for the first time. The digital equity components of the Broadband Action Plan will be guided by the Digital Equity Taskforce and supported by the Regional and Tribal Broadband Partners.

Access to high-speed internet is not simply a modern luxury, but a way for people to access the resources they need. The Maine State Library's pilot telehealth program is one such example of how technology can support health equity. The Maine State Library system also partners with the MCA as part of our Digital Equity Task Force.

MCA continues to explore how we can support BUDs as a tool to getting high-speed internet to all Mainers. For more information, check out our webpage: https://www.maineconnectivity.org/buds

MCA attended a press conference in Augusta where Charter Communications announced its investment of over $80 million into broadband across Maine. By supporting public-private partnerships that leverage local resources with private investment, we can continue to enable a thriving and competitive broadband market in Maine that can address our goals of universal, affordable connectivity for everyone as soon as possible.

MCA continues to balance its mission to connect as many households as possible with high-speed internet as possible, with the desire of some communities to develop and fund their own infrastructure projects.

MCA"s President, Andrew Butcher, explains mapping challenges related to BEAD funding.

MCA launches the Maine Broadband Survey to collect feedback which will inform the statewide Broadband Action Plan.

Regional and Tribal Broadband Partners, funded by MCA, work to ensure all voices are heard to inform the Broadband Action Plan by organizing in-person community listening sessions and focus groups.

MCA Awards $8.8 million to Skowhegan and portions of Madison, Cornville, and Canaan through the Connect the Ready program.

At a recent MCA Board meeting, the Board of Directors discussed a recently drafted letter to Charter Communcations. The content is included below.

The Maine Connectivity Authority has awarded the money to the towns through a partnership with Consolidated Communications.

Maine Connectivity Authority and community members are celebrating more than 10-million dollars of investment for broadband expansion in Skowhegan, Madison, Cornville, and other communities.

A new report says Maine could soon face a shortage of as many as 4,400 workers in the industry, depending on how fast and extensively broadband access is expanded.

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There's a new hurdle in the effort to expand broadband in Maine: a workforce shortage. A recent study suggests some 3,240 additional workers are needed for existing broadband investments across the state.

Direct Communications will install Fiber to the Premises, or direct fiber-optic connections, to 837 homes and businesses in these unserved areas.

Communities include Bancroft, Brookton, Danforth, Drew Plantation, Glenwood Plantation, Haynesville, Orient, Reed Plantation, and Weston.

Brookton and 10 surrounding communities will get high-speed broadband through an $8.1 million grant announced by the Maine Connectivity Authority this week.

The Maine Connectivity Authority announced more than $34 million in grant funding to expand broadband access in 31 communities across the state.

Maine Connectivity Authority Grants Support Expansion of Reliable,
High-Speed Internet in 31 Communities

The Maine Connectivity Authority announced more than $34 million in grant funding to expand access to high-speed, reliable and affordable internet across Maine.

Recently released federal broadband maps still miss some spots. The Maine Connectivity Authority's new tool allows members of the public to check if their home, camp or business is accurately recorded.

On Monday, Maine Connectivity Authority announced three awards totaling more than $1 million in funding for its Jumpstart Connectivity Initiative.

On Monday, the MCA announced three awards totaling more than $1 million in funding through the Jumpstart Connectivity Initiative

The Maine Connectivity Authority has launched a critical public education campaign called Correct the Dots, a call to action for individuals to check their addresses on new federal internet maps and to file a challenge if the information is incorrect.

Maine's broadband agency is asking residents to check the accuracy of federal coverage maps.

The Maine Connectivity Authority has launched a critical public education campaign called Correct the Dots

The Maine Connectivity Authority has launched a critical public education campaign called the Correct the Dots challenge that will help the Federal Communications Commission in gathering the most accurate information about broadband accessibility and quality across the state.

Although it was a cloudy day in Waterville, an announcement made in one building promised to light the way to the future.

Maine becomes the first state to receive the funding as part of a federal push for broadband improvements meant to give every American access to high-speed internet service.