Maine

After a regional effort to bring broadband to the lakes region west of Augusta (ME) fell through, the town of Vienna, population nearly 600, decided to go it alone. Around five years ago, major broadband providers, including Consolidated Communication,s declined to extend cables there, citing its small population. In March 2023, voters approved a municipal network. On August 1, 2025, Vienna Broadband will switch on for its first customers. It opens with new competition.

There is a new tool for helping people in Maine who struggle to get online to find places near them that offer free wifi, computer classes, low-cost computers, one-on-one tech help, and more. Tech Help for ME compiles a variety of critical resources in one place, making it easier for people in Maine to find what they need at a time when digital access is increasingly important. The resource hub, developed by the Maine Connectivity Authority, is designed specifically for people who face added hurdles in getting online.

Consolidated Communications is looking to discontinue legacy voice services at more than 45,000 locations in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Consolidated said the affected customers could be transitioned to a voice over internet protocol service on its fiber network under the company’s Fidium brand.

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 announces the launch of the Maine Tech Share program, a digital opportunity initiative developed in partnership with Maine’s only nonprofit device refurbisher, give IT. get IT. The program enables Maine businesses and institutions to safely recycle underutilized or unused devices, which are then refurbished and distributed to families and individuals, providing the technology needed for participation in today’s digital society. MCA’s goal is to source 25,000 devices, which will be wiped of data and refurbished for redistribution by give IT. get IT. give IT.

The recent changes to the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program "undoubtedly create additional work and effort for Maine and every other state and territory," said Maine Connectivity Authority president Andrew Butcher. "So we will execute it as quickly and efficiently as possible, but it kind of jams two years of work into two months." The new timeline is difficult, but "Secretary Lutnick has committed that funds will be awarded and projects started this year. We're going to hold them to that," he said. Butcher said he was relieved that the BEAD program wasn't canceled entirely.

Maine’s congressional delegation is urging the Commerce Department to reverse its freeze of nearly $35 million in grant funding intended to expand digital access for low-income and rural Mainers. In a letter sent to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and acting Administrator Adam Cassady, the delegation noted that Maine is among the most rural states in the country, leaving its residents particularly vulnerable. “Maine is especially affected by this decision, which will have an outsized impact on Maine families, small businesses and communities.

Digital inclusion organizations are reeling after the Trump administration announced the Digital Equity Act grant programs, embedded in the bipartisan infrastructure law, was being cancelled months after federal grants had already been reviewed and awarded. The Wiscasset, Maine-based National Digital Equity Center was one of 65 organizations and public entities

The Maine Connectivity Authority, the agency leading the statewide expansion of broadband and digital opportunity in Maine, has received a notification from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration that as of Friday, May 9, it has terminated three grants totaling $35 million in funding for Maine. These grants funded programs to improve digital skills, provide internet safety education and ensure people have affordable devices.

The Maine Connectivity Authority is the state agency responsible for implementing the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program. The MCA team and partners have worked tens of thousands of hours over the past three years to develop and execute thou