'Connect ME' is Maine's Mantra For 90 Percent Broadband by 2010

When it comes to broadband, the state of Maine is doing a lot with a little in order to keep a big promise. In 2005, Gov. John Baldacci announced the Connect Maine initiative and said that by focused on investing in broadband infrastructure in unserved areas, it would "ensure that 90% of Maine communities have broadband access by 2010." When Gov. Baldacci made this promise in 2005, the state pieced together data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the state Public Utilities Commission and estimated that, only 74% of Maine households had access to broadband. The Connect ME authority is still the state's smallest agency. It continues to be tasked with connecting the rest of Maine where, according to Connect ME Executive Director Phillip Lindley, "the private sector won't get the job done."