It Takes All Kinds: Maine’s Diverse Broadband Programs

Look at funding resources on the webpages for Maine Connectivity Authority (MCA) and you’ll find multiple funding programs, each with its own set of rules. 

• Connect the Ready: Maine’s biggest funding program is open to public/private partnerships. In January 2023, MCA awarded $35 million to cover some of the costs of deploying broadband to unserved rural areas. An additional $20 million toward project costs will come from private sources.
• Jumpstart Community Initiative: Launched in 2022 this program provided funding for fixed wireless deployments. MCA has learned a great deal from these projects, including where to place towers along the Canadian border, as Canada uses different wireless frequencies than the U.S.
• Reach Me: Designed to enable incumbent service providers to extend high-speed broadband networks to pockets that would likely remain unserved due to a lack of density. In April 2023, MCA awarded $20 million in Reach Me funding to nine incumbent providers.

Brian Allenby, MCA's program operations and communications director said that MCA’s experiences with these programs should help the agency prepare for administering the $272 million in BEAD rural broadband funding that is allotted for the state.