Municipal broadband bill inches forward

By Mike Lange
Staff Writer

 AUGUSTA – A bill that would fund planning and implementation grants for municipal broadband projects in underserved areas was given a reprieve last week, thanks to some friendly persuasion by its sponsor, Rep. Norman Higgins (R-Dover-Foxcroft).

 LD 1185 would authorize 25 planning grants of $25,000 each and implementation grants of $200,000 each to jump start high-speed Internet connections in rural communities.

 Out of the 25 communities selected for the planning grants, 15 must be “economically-challenged.” Those selected to advance to the next round of funding would need to put up $50,000 of their own funds.

 Although the Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee on which Higgins serves declined to endorse the legislation at first, “I was given a ‘gift of time’ and listened to the issues that concerned the committee,” Higgins said. “I revised the bill and resubmitted it on Wednesday (May 20). A last-minute effort by the Telecommunications Association to kill the bill was rejected, and the bill has a 11-2 ‘Ought to Pass’ recommendation.”

 In a handout describing the bill, Higgins pointed out that Maine’s low ranking in broadband connectivity is 49th in the nation – “equal to that of a Third World country. We are literally sitting on top of the solution.”

 Many towns are already wired with fiber optics, but for various reasons lack a provider to connect the service. Some towns such as Sanford, Isleboro, Rockport, Old Town and Orono already have municipal broadband service and some – like Rockport – have partnered with private companies to pay for the installation.

 Higgins acknowledged at the beginning of the session that it would be an uphill battle to convince the Legislature to add another $12.5 million to the state budget this year for start-up costs.

 But during his testimony, the first-term Republican said that while “public tax policy and reasonable and stable energy costs are often cited as the key ingredients for the state’s economy, the missing link is accessible high-speed Internet.”

 Higgins said that 75 percent of new jobs in Maine “are created by small businesses, and over half of these new jobs are created by people under age 35 … Our state has placed a premium priority on attracting young, educated people while retaining our present resident young adults. It is our quality of life that entices them to the Pine Tree State, but it is access to high speed technology that will keep them here.”

 Higgins, in a Facebook post, said that the negotiations and shepherding the bill through the EUT Committee “was the most challenging week that I have experienced in the Legislature. When the municipal broadband bill was facing rejection, you really discover your friends are, and there were many.”

 Higgins added that “the rock for me was Rep. Beth O’Connor (R-Berwick). She is smart, dedicated, hard-working and true to her word. I have the utmost respect for her.”

 With more than 800 bills left to deal with in this session, lawmakers are bracing for long nights and the possibility of working some weekends in order to meet the June 17 deadline for adjournment. Funding to keep state government running technically ends June 30.