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Lee Umphrey is the president and CEO of Eastern Maine Development Corp., which is responsible for developing a comprehensive economic development plan for eastern Maine.

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Nicholas MacDonald is a lecturer of small business management at the University of Maine at Machias. He previously worked for Machias Savings Bank.

In this Aug. 22, 2023, file photo, Easton Town Clerk Cheryl Clark works at her desk at the Easton Town Office. Easton has just completed its expansion of the broadband interest services this year. Credit: Paul Bagnall / The Star-Herald

Including Senator Angus King

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Myles Smith is the executive director of the Maine Broadband Coalition. The coalition includes regional economic development authorities, health and education providers, community leaders, and small- and medium-sized Internet Service Providers.

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More Households Are Eligible for a Benefit to Help Pay for Internet Service

The head of the Maine Connectivity Authority discusses efforts to increase access to affordable and reliable high-speed internet throughout the state. We'll learn about efforts underway, funding sources, potential roadblocks, and the work being done beyond the wires to build out the internet and digital equity across the state.

If it’s allowed to expire, it will threaten the connectivity of over 20 million American households enrolled in the program, including about 90,000 in Maine, as well as our rural broadband efforts.

Official Gig Town

One of the programs set up to ensure affordable internet for all is set to run out by the middle of 2024.

Julie Casson, right, Community Digital Planner, Coastal Maine Regional Broadband presents a check to Southport Memorial Library Director Jen Britton.

The Affordable Connectivity Program, ACP, will pay up to $75 per month for eligible households.

Maine is one of the first states to submit its plan to the NTIA, following Delaware.

Pamela Dunning, director of Wiscasset Public Library, receives the grant award from Julie Casson, community digital planner, Coastal Maine Regional Broadband.

This money will be leveraged by the Maine Connectivity Authority to incentivize internet service providers to expand into underserved areas in the state.

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It's seen by the head of Maine's statewide broadband agency as an example of the kind of work needed in many parts of Maine to bring broadband to all.

With the acceptance of the MCA grant on Tuesday, July 18, the Select Board will be able to move forward with Matrix Design Group to bring high-speed internet to Wilton.

Reaching 94,000 Maine homes and businesses that currently have unreliable internet or none at all is but one piece of a tricky puzzle.

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More than $42 billion has been allocated nationwide to expand high-speed internet access, and Maine's share is the largest of any state in New England.

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The largest Federal investment Maine has ever received for broadband expansion is made possible by Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will help Maine reach Governor Mills’ statewide connectivity goal

Princeton and Cooper will become part of the Washington County-based network, providing a needed and appreciated service.

When the pandemic hit, a digital equity center in Downeast Maine helped older residents learn how to use the internet to stay connected and informed. Now a national grant program will give them the chance to train more residents.

All 50 states are currently working on Five-Year Action Plans for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. As they release draft plans, the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society is sharing summaries focused on how states define their broadband goals and priorities.

Maine’s ambitious broadband expansion is creating demand for more workers to hang fiber. Women are increasingly responding to the opportunity.

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President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the Safer Communities Summit at the University of Hartford in West Hartford, Conn., on June 16.

The delegation supported the bipartisan infrastructure law, which includes money for broadband expansion in Maine.

Senator Collins was a member of the core group of 10 Senators who negotiated the infrastructure package and led the broadband negotiation with Senator Shaheen; Grant program is based on King-led legislation to connect internet carriers to networks in underserved communities.

Competitive Award to Accelerate Access to Quality Internet

All 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico are currently working on digital equity plans. As they release draft plans seeking public feedback, the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society is sharing summaries focused on how states define their digital divides and their vision for reaching digital equity.

The state is deciding how to use federal funds for improving high-speed internet access, and wants public input on some of the priorities that have been identified so far.

Initiatives bridge the gaps from individual homes and businesses to existing networks

There are ‘locations where we know it is not possible to receive that level of service,’ said Maine’s broadband authority.

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

Plus, Detroit’s parks are getting public Wi-Fi; the White House has launched invest.gov; New York continues to up enrollment in broadband program; and more.

First half of allocations going to wide variety of initiatives to expand high-speed internet access

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.

A regional victory and vision for highspeed internet access for all

The Maine Connectivity Authority launches Reach Me Line Extensions.

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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.

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

MCA announces Reach Me Line Extension program awards.

“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.”

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

Maine is receiving $5,542,222.32 in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

This money will go towards creating an action plan for the state to provide high-speed internet, targeting communities that would need such services.