Maine to offer Starlink terminals to its roughly 9,000 internet-less homes

Press release from Maineconnectivity.org: (with some self-congratulatory quotes removed)

Maine Connectivity Authority (MCA), the public agency leading the statewide expansion of broadband and digital equity in Maine, today announces the launch of the Working Internet ASAP (WIA) Program to connect the hardest-to-reach places across the state.

Since 2020, MCA has made significant progress, facilitating the investment of nearly $300 million in public and private funding to connect 86,000 locations to high-speed internet. This represents a 26 percent increase in statewide access to broadband internet in the last two years. As a result of that progress, only 1.5 percent of Maine’s most rural and remote homes and businesses (approximately 9,000) have no access to any type of internet service or technology to connect.

To provide these locations with an option to connect, MCA will coordinate the bulk purchase of Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite hardware and service reservations from Starlink. Starlink, the world’s largest LEO satellite provider, was selected by MCA through a competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) in the summer of 2024.

“Oxford County has a disproportionate number of remote and hard-to-reach locations,“ said Mia Purcell, Vice President of Economic Development & Impact at Community Concepts. “The Working Internet ASAP Program will provide an option to those homes and businesses to equitably access the benefits of reliable internet, including online education, employment, and telehealth opportunities,” Purcell said.

The WIA Program is part of complementary funding programs MCA has developed, implemented, and executed in the past two years. In 2025, MCA will facilitate the investment of an additional $350 million in broadband infrastructure through the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program to serve the remaining 5% of locations in Maine that currently have slow and unreliable internet service.

Starting this November, eligible homes and businesses can use MCA’s enrollment portal to apply for subsidized LEO satellite hardware, installation support, and information about developing digital skills that will improve the use of their new connection. MCA will conduct outreach to all eligible locations through a marketing campaign, targeted advertising, direct mail, and coordination with local and regional organizations like Regional & Wabanaki Broadband Partners. Enrollment for this program will remain open on a rolling basis. For more information, visit www.maineconnectivity.org/wia.