Governor Janet Mills spoke last week about LD 1484, a measure designed to expand and deliver high speed internet access throughout the state of Maine, reports GovTech. The legislation would help establish the Maine Connectivity Authority which would be similar to the ConnectMaine Authority, an agency that has worked to promote broadband access there over the past three years.
“I would like to thank the [Portland Regional] Chamber of Commerce for recent advocacy on behalf of my bipartisan bill – which passed in both the House and Senate unanimously on initial votes – to create the Maine Connectivity Authority to expand access to broadband. I look forward to signing that legislation when it reaches my desk,” said Mills.
Senator Rick Bennett, who sponsored the Maine Connectivity Authority bill, explained that he believed it was important to create an agency to manage and direct federal broadband funding. “The pandemic has underscored the disparities of who gets to communicate and who doesn’t,” Bennett noted when promoting the bill. “Nobody should be left behind in the digital age. This includes small business people trying to reach customers, students struggling to learn remotely, rural patients pursuing state-of-the-art telehealth options, and older people trying to keep in touch with family during the pandemic.”
The Maine Connectivity Authority will be guided by a seven member board of directors appointed by the governor. State analysts have predicted that Maine will eventually need $600 million to complete outreach plans. For now, the new Authority will begin with funds from a $15 million state broadband bond bolstered by up to $129 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding. Plans call for a follow up report in 2030 to gauge the success of the rollout.
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