Maine to receive $272 million to expand high-speed internet access

AUGUSTA (WGME) — Governor Janet Mills announced on Monday that the Biden administration has approved Maine’s plan to invest $272 million in federal funds to expand access to high-speed, reliable, and affordable internet across the state.

Mills says the funds awarded to Maine from the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program created by President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is the largest grant award the state has ever received to expand internet access.

According to Mills, Monday’s approval of Maine’s plan by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will allow the Maine Connectivity Authority (MCA) to utilize the investment as it works to expand connectivity across the state.

MCA will begin a subgrantee selection process in the coming months. An application process is expected to open this fall. Following that process, MCA will submit a final proposal to NTIA detailing how the distribution of funds will allow Maine to achieve universal connectivity. MCA’s final proposal must be submitted to the NTIA within one year of Monday’s announcement, according to Mills.

Access to BEAD funding will build on the progress made since 2021 when Governor Mills signed bipartisan legislation creating the Maine Connectivity Authority to advance the deployment of affordable, high-speed broadband access across Maine. As of June 2024, the agency has facilitated over $140 million in investments to enable over 70,000 connections across the state. This public funding has been matched with over $80 million in private and community investment, ensuring that more than 70% of Maine’s unserved locations have been addressed since 2020.

The $42.45 billion BEAD program, authorized by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s “Internet for All” Initiative to ensure that everyone in America has access to affordable, reliable high-speed internet.