Expanding broadband access for rural Maine

“Time and experience have verified to a demonstration, the public utility of internal improvements. That the … most thinly populated counties would be greatly benefited by the opening of good roads and in the clearing of navigable streams within their limits, is what no person will deny.” – Abraham Lincoln, 1832

Throughout his career, Abraham Lincoln understood and prioritized infrastructure as critical to the vitality of our nation. Because he was from Illinois — at that time the western part of the country –– he knew his state had to rely on infrastructure improvements for economic development. Today, we are in the exact same position, where expanding access to broadband is the infrastructure challenge of our generation that will help connect and bring prosperity to rural communities and grow Maine’s economy.

High-speed internet access supports small businesses and encourages people to live and raise families in every beautiful corner of our state. As a pillar of our 21st century infrastructure, next generation broadband is critical to the viability of our economy, connecting rural communities to the world, opening access to new markets, supporting innovation, creating greater online learning opportunities, providing access to telemedicine, and allowing more seniors to age at home. No other technology has become such a platform for innovation and opportunity, and it is time to make smart investments that give rural America access to internet-enabled economic growth.

That’s why last week, together with my fellow Senate Broadband Caucus co-chairs, I led a bipartisan letter to the President urging that broadband deployment be part of any infrastructure initiative. The letter was signed by 48 senators from across the political spectrum, all looking to grow the American workforce and support our rural communities in a 21st century economy.

During my time in Washington, I have dedicated much of my work to elevating the importance of broadband infrastructure and adoption in rural Maine. One key result of the modernization of federal broadband programs — especially the FCC’s E-rate program — is improved school and library internet access to help children in Maine and across America strengthen their technological literacy so they can reap the benefits of a rapidly modernizing world.

I am also determined to close the homework gap and digital divide for children who lack internet access at home. Just because the school day ends doesn’t mean that access to the internet has to too. Nearly one-third of low-income households with school-age children lack a high-speed internet connection, which seriously limits access to educational opportunities and new learning tools essential for students to be successful.

That’s why I was encouraged my amendment to the Every Child Achieves Act — a major education reform bill that gives power back to teachers, schools and states — was signed into law. The amendment ensures that digital services or devices that help students access the internet outside of the school day, like mobile hotspots, are eligible for technology funding under the bill’s Title IV-A grant program. Mobile hotspots are already making a difference for students in Cherryfield, Maine, where a partnership between the Cherryfield Public Library, the New York Public Library, the Maine State Library, U.S. Cellular, and Axiom Technologies has launched the “Check Out the Internet” initiative to allow students to check out a mobile Wi-Fi device to provide them with internet access outside of school. My amendment could help facilitate more projects like this around Maine and the country.

In today’s highly-connected world, broadband infrastructure is critical to building vibrant rural communities. I remain committed to shining a light on this important, and often-overlooked, aspect of infrastructure development so communities in Maine can grow and thrive.