Politicians are championing the arrival of $28 million in federal funds to expand broadband across rural sections of Maine. The money is to benefit broadband services in 24 communities, and 15,000 residents. In the Midcoast, the communities standing to benefit include Washington,  Somerville and Isle Au Haut, which will be municipally owned networks

The partnership supported by the grant will also bring a fiber connection to unserved areas in Jefferson,  Blue Hill, Penobscot, Sedgewick, Brooklin, Brooksville, Castine, Deer Isle and a small portion of Stonington. 

Communities in Franklin County include Dallas, Rangeley, and Sandy River Plantations, Rangeley, Farmington, Industry, Strong, Temple, New Sharon, Chesterville, Wilton.

This funding was provided through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s  Broadband Infrastructure Program and authorized through the bipartisan COVID-19 relief bill that was signed into law in December 2020. The Maine Delegation wrote a letter in support of the project.
 
“As one of the most rural states in the nation, Maine has unique challenges in providing high-speed, affordable broadband access to all citizens. The lack of broadband reliability that plagues Mainers restricts their ability to compete in a 21st century economy and to utilize educational, health, and other important public services,” said Senators Collins and King and Representatives Pingree and Golden, in a joint news release.“This substantial funding to expand broadband access to nearly 15,000 Maine residents will help make rural communities a more viable place to live, work, and raise a family.” 

The award is to fund a new public-private partnership and support a partnership between ConnectMaine, the towns of Somerville, Washington, and Isle au Haut, and internet service providers Consolidated Communications, Axiom Technologies, and LCI Fiber Optic Network to bring fiber to unserved areas in Franklin, Hancock, Knox, and Lincoln counties.

The grant will support the establishment of municipally-owned networks in the three municipalities serving as partners under the grant.

Maine was one of the first states in the country to develop a community broadband planning program, and more than 200 communities have participated in the process since 2016.

This award builds on the Mills Administration’s work to expand access to affordable broadband. Governor Mills dedicated $21 million through her Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan, which, when combined with the $129 million through the American Rescue Plan, will provide a total of $150 million to the Maine Connectivity Authority to expand access to affordable broadband.

In 2020, Governor Mills also dedicated $5.6 million in CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Funds, in partnership with private internet providers, to build out permanent internet infrastructure to more than 730 students across rural Maine. The initiative built on the Mills Administration’s previous work to secure mobile hotspots and learning devices for nearly 24,000 students across Maine after schools suspended in-classroom instruction and adopted remote learning earlier this year.

In 2020, the state approved a $15 million bond proposal for broadband, the first new investment in internet expansion in more than a decade that has connected 11,000 homes and businesses to the internet.

As mentioned above, Somerville, Washington and Isle Au Haut will be municipally owned networks, where ConnectMaine will provide the 10% match required for the grant.