Network cables are plugged in a server room. (Photo by Michael Bocchieri/Getty Images)
With two and a half months left for Gov. Janet Mills to reach her 2022 pledge to provide all Mainers with internet access, the state launched a new program Thursday to connect the hardest-to-reach places across the state.
The Maine Connectivity Authority, the public agency in charge of statewide broadband expansion, announced The Working Internet ASAP Program to provide internet service or technology to connect to the approximately 9,000 rural homes and businesses that are currently without, according to a news release.
“Maine has more work to do to build out our broadband infrastructure — but by the end of this year, everyone in our state will have the opportunity to access a reliable connection,” Mills said.
A disproportionate number of those hard-to-reach locations are in Oxford County, according to Mia Purcell, vice president of economic development and impact at Community Concepts. To reach them and other remote areas, the Connectivity Authority will coordinate a bulk purchase of satellite hardware and service reservations from Starlink, which was selected through a competitive bidding process this summer.
Homes and businesses who are eligible for the new program can apply starting in November. The Connectivity Authority will open an enrollment portal where people will be able to see eligible areas and fill out an application showing proof of residency.
According to Purcell, the program “will provide an option to those homes and businesses, providing timely access to the opportunities that a connection offers, including education, employment, and telehealth.”
The plan also includes a marketing campaign with targeted advertising, direct mail and collaborations with local organizations to let people in eligible locations know they could access these services.
Since 2020, the Connectivity Authority has utilized nearly $300 million in public and private funding to connect 86,000 locations to high-speed internet, the release said. Next year, the agency plans to use another $350 million of federal dollars on broadband infrastructure for the 5% of locations in Maine with slow or unreliable internet service.
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