Broadband Expansion

A proposal in the Maine Legislature would send $1 million to the state agency that oversees the expansion of broadband.

The bill could benefit residents and businesses in rural Maine that have slow Internet access or no access at all. The Legislature's Energy and Utilities Committee voted on Tuesday to support the proposal.

The Portland Press Herald reports the bill originally sought to increase funding for the ConnectME Authority by up to $6 million. Lawmakers struggled to agree on a way to fund the larger proposal. The committee on Tuesday decided instead to use $1 million from the state's general fund.

ConnectME Authority's current annual budget is about $1.1 million.