Midcoast broadband expansion will be the focus of $35.6M in funding

Photo / Jim Neuger Homes and businesses in two midcoast counties will receive $35.6 million for community broadband projects; the funding includes grants from the Maine Connectivity Authority.

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By Renee Cordes

More than 15,500 homes and businesses across Waldo and Lincoln counties will get high-speed internet access thanks to $35.6 million in new funding for community broadband projects.

The money includes $9.6 million in grants from the Maine Connectivity Authority.

The grants were made through a program that addresses large-scale, regional broadband needs by leveraging middle-mile infrastructure and maximizing private and community financial contributions.

“This outcome is a tribute to the tenacity of the volunteer and community leaders who recognized the need for broadband long before the MCA was created,” said Carlos Barrionuevo, secretary of the Maine Connectivity Authority’s board of directors.

“This partnership leverages funding that was unavailable only a short time ago and illustrates just how far Maine has come in a short time to tackling a fundamental community need."

In Lincoln County, a community broadband project received $6 million, matched by $24.3 million in private and public investment including federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act.

In partnership with Consolidated Communications, a broadband and business communications provider, the project will serve 14,436 homes and businesses in Woolwich, Wiscasset, Dresden, Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Southport, Edgecomb, Waldoboro, Alna, Whitefield and Nobleboro.

The Waldo County project received an award of $3.6 million, matched by $1.9 million in private and public investment including municipal ARPA funds.

“This award is a critical investment that will bring vital broadband infrastructure to our communities, helping to meet the needs of our homes and businesses today and for the future”, said Ethan Tremblay, chair of the 1A Waldo County Broadband Coalition.

The Maine Connectivity Authority, established in 2021, is a quasi-governmental agency seeking to deliver reliable, affordable high-speed internet to all Maine residents.

Over the past four years, the agency has facilitated over $170 million in digital equity and infrastructure investments, enabling over 86,000 connections across the state and reducing the number of locations with no internet connection to below 5% of the state.