Celebrating Progress
Maine held a stakeholder and press event announcing its Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) allocation and its Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure (Middle Mile) Program grant. Over 60 community, business, and state government stakeholders attended the event. Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth (OICG) Associate Administrator Doug Kinkoph, Governor Janet Mills and U.S. Senator Angus King spoke at the announcement.
Amplifying Voices
To better inform the BEAD and Digital Equity Plans, the Maine Connectivity Authority held 13 focus groups and 16 community meetings, with National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) support. The state complemented the focus groups with 651 interviews and a survey translated into 12 languages. Over 3,200 people completed the survey. The robust stakeholder engagement focused on Maine’s covered populations most impacted by the Digital Divide. Maine’s early focus on stakeholder engagement led it to be the first state in the nation to submit its Digital Equity Plan to NTIA.
Maine Broadband Summit
The state held a November Maine Broadband Summit 2023 in Waterville with participation by OICG Deputy Associate Administrator for BEAD Evan Feinman and Maine’s BEAD and Digital Equity Federal Program Officer (FPO).
Investing in Rural Communities
In June 2023, NTIA announced a $30 million Middle Mile grant to the Maine Connectivity Authority to fund a middle mile network in rural Maine. The Maine Online Optical Statewide Enable Network (MOOSE Net) will be a state-owned open-access middle mile fiber network that will stretch 530 miles and cross 131 communities, representing 11,000 unserved homes and businesses and 200 community anchor institutions, such as schools, hospitals and libraries. This grant will leverage $23 million in state and private funding and is supported by more than 40 partners across Maine.
Connecting Tribes to Infrastructure Planning
With tailored support from NTIA, Maine Connectivity Authority held collaborative and productive Tribal Consultations for BEAD and Digital Equity with the Chiefs of the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Sipayik, the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Indian Township, and the Mi’kmaq Nation to ensure their priorities will be reflected in Maine’s Five-Year Action Plan and Digital Equity Plan.
Public Engagement and Sharing Resources
Maine’s FPO for BEAD and Digital Equity hosted an NTIA table at Maine Broadband Day at the State House to foster connections, answer questions, and share resources about the Internet for All with state policymakers and community partners.