Many Mainers have issues with Internet connectivity, mostly because of the old copper wire phone network in place, especially in rural areas, according to Erik Garr, of Consolidated Communications.
ConnectMaine awards $15 million in broadband grants villagesoup.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from villagesoup.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Officials in Maine estimate that the state could get about $500 million in federal and state funds to bring high-speed Internet to the 78,000 locations in the state that lack broadband.
The bipartisan infrastructure bill appears to transform how the federal government subsidizes broadband infrastructure. But evidence suggests that big companies may not allow the status quo to change without a fight.
The project provides Fidium Fiber internet access through Consolidated Communications to nearly every road and every home in town, save for a few camp roads that can be connected in the next couple of months when the weather is more cooperative, and homes that are off-the-grid and need to make special arrangements, said First Selectmen Julie Curtis.