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 Online Optical Statewide Enabling Network, or MOOSE Net, will serve as the backbone for expanded internet connectivity as a part of Maine’s commitment to bridge the digital divide and build infrastructure that will create long-term public benefit. This middle mile network will expand the state’s ability to provide connections for homes, businesses, and public safety and community anchor institutions like schools, libraries, and health care facilities. Middle mile is made up of high-capacity fiber that carries large amounts of data at high speeds over long distances and other telecommunications infrastructure. MOOSE Net is critical to supporting Maine’s remote industries like farming, forestry, fishing, and the outdoor economy, enabling expanded cellular service, and underpinning climate adaptation needs.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed a critical lack of digital equity in the United States, particularly in Indian Country. As previous Center for Indian Country Development (CICD) research has shown, before the pandemic households on federally recognized reservations were less likely to have home Internet and faced substantially higher prices for the most basic home Internet plans compared to households living outside of reservations. COVID-19 exacerbated that digital divide. In response, in December 2021 the U.S. government launched the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). Before sunsetting in June 2024, the ACP subsidized the monthly cost of high-speed Internet for low-income families. Our analysis finds higher ACP enrollment among eligible households on tribal lands than on non-tribal lands. 

The State Education Technology Directors Association (SETDA) released its third annual State EdTech Trends survey and report. With this survey of state education technology (edtech) directors, superintendents, commissioners of education, and other state-level policymakers, SETDA aims to catalog the way state education agencies are adapting to the opportunities and risks of increasingly ubiquitous technology. The report presents four key findings based on the survey: 

1. State agencies are stepping up to meet the demand for more support on the responsible adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in education.

2. For the second year in a row, cybersecurity is the top edtech priority among state leaders, but fewer state leaders believe their state is providing sufficient funding to support connectivity. 

3. Anxiety about funding appears to increase as federal pandemic funds expire, while home connectivity and access remain the top unmet needs across states.

4. New survey questions reveal opportunities for state education leaders to support the effective and equitable use of edtech as states appear to invest more in their own capacity.