ConnectMaine Authority Infrastructure Grants

Connect.ME@maine.gov
207.624.9894

The ConnectMaine Authority will provide grants for expanding the availability of broadband service in least served areas of Maine.

Program objectives include:

• Maximize investment in broadband infrastructure, and maximize opportunities to leverage resources and funding from other sources to support deployment of broadband infrastructure; aim to correct market failures due to low premise density
• Balance awards in consideration of investment incentives and regional equity; create a geographically equitable distribution of projects around the state
• Align with community visions and goals for economic development, education, civic engagement, and healthcare
• Fund forward-looking, scalable infrastructure that provides ubiquitous, universally available broadband service, with sufficient capacity for future growth for the greatest number of years, giving preference to projects providing symmetrical service
• Advance digital equity and inclusion; consider projects that propose the lowest price for the highest quality of service of the lowest service level offering; no grant will be awarded for proposed projects that allow data caps on service provided; all projects funded must result in providing standardized tiers of service, including one for income-eligible individuals.

Applications may involve a single or multiple entities from the private and/or public sectors. Eligible entities include:

• Communications Service Providers (ISPs) that meet eligibility criteria
• Any unit of local government, including town, city, county or regional council of governments
• Any broadband utility district or corporation, wholly or partially owned by a unit of local government

Past awards have ranged between $45,000 and $1.8 million. A minimum financial commitment of $700 per subscriber location in the project area must be made for the proposed project.

Links to additional guidance, application instructions, and the online application portal are available on the program website when applications are being accepted.