Andrew Butcher

As a reminder, on June 6, the National Telecommunications Information Administration released a Policy Notice that calls for the restructuring of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program. The program is slated to bring $272 million to Maine to provide high-speed internet to homes and businesses across the State. These mandatory changes require an evolution of the Maine Connectivity Authority’s current program design and process.

The Maine Connectivity Authority believes there are several ways to both accelerate and improve the BEAD program, reducing barriers and maximizing the Return On Investment (ROI):

Maine is the first state in the country to have its Digital Equity Plan approved by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). This is a major accomplishment in that this represents the first statewide Digital Equity Plan to ever be developed for our state (and the first tied to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act—also known as Bipartisan Infrastructure Law). And, it is fitting that our Digital Equity Plan can now be put into motion ahead of any infrastructure deployed through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.