Maine Connectivity Authority

Maine Connectivity Authority (MCA), the agency leading the statewide expansion of broadband and digital opportunity in Maine, announces the enrollment portal for the Working Internet ASAP (WIA) Program is now open. Approximately 1.5 percent of Maine homes and businesses have no access to any type of internet service or technology, and this program provides the option for connectivity to these previously unreachable locations.

The Maine Connectivity Authority (MCA), the public agency leading the statewide expansion of broadband and digital equity in Maine, announced the launch of the Working Internet ASAP (WIA) Program to connect the hardest-to-reach places across the state. This program is one way that MCA is fulfilling the commitment to provide all people in Maine with an option to connect to the internet by the end of 2024.

Maine Connectivity Authority (MCA), the public agency leading statewide broadband expansion and digital equity in Maine, is seeking proposals from qualified technical and construction experts to design and construct a 536-mile fiber optic network across the state of Maine.

The Maine Connectivity Authority (MCA) awarded two grants totaling $9,600,633 to connect 15,561 homes and businesses across Waldo and Lincoln Counties to expand access to the internet. The grants were made through MCA’s Partnerships for Enabling Middle Mile (PEMM) Program which addresses large-scale, regional broadband needs by leveraging middle-mile infrastructure. These two grants demonstrate 12 collective years of concerted community-driven broadband planning, regional collaboration, and highlight the value of public-private, regional-scale partnerships.

The Maine Connectivity Authority awarded more than $12 million in grants to fund digital improvements to 12 community organizations across Maine. The grants are part of the Maine Connectivity Authority’s Connectivity Hubs Program, which will help community anchor institutions—such as libraries, community centers, municipal and tribal buildings, and affordable housing developments—provide workforce training, education and telehealth services in areas most impacted by a lack of access to high-speed internet.

The Maine Connectivity Authority awarded two grants to connect hard-to-reach locations in Fayette and Wilton with access to affordable, quality, high-speed internet. The Town of Fayette, in cooperation with Consolidated Communications, will receive a Connect the Ready grant of $1,875,000 to reach approximately 440 homes and businesses. The town of Wilton, also in collaboration with Consolidated Communications, will receive a Reach Me grant of $311,000 to connect approximately 169 hard-to-reach locations requiring underground infrastructure.

The Maine Connectivity Resource Exchange is Maine Connectivity Authority's home to resources and knowledge to support, enable, and empower municipal and Tribal governments, nonprofit organizations, subgrantees, and the public on all aspects of the broadband ecosystem in Maine. The first module is in support of the upcoming BEAD State-Led Challenge Process. This module contains 7 units that will work to guide our partners through this several months-long process.

Maine is the first state in the country to have its Digital Equity Plan approved by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. The plan outlines the steps the state will take to expand access to high-speed, reliable internet and break down barriers to connections, especially for populations most impacted by the digital divide. Its approval is the first step for Maine to qualify for Digital Equity Act funding, resulting in an estimated allocation between $12 million and $14 million.

The Maine Connectivity Authority (MCA) has awarded more than $36.6 million in grants to expand affordable, reliable, high-speed internet service to more than 24,000 homes and businesses in 45 communities across the state. The grants are part of the agency’s All-In programming, funded through the American Rescue Plan and designed to provide a mixture of solutions to address the expansion of last mile infrastructure for high-speed internet. MCA is announcing five Connect the Ready: Cohort 2 grant awards totaling $20.7 million.