AUGUSTA — In today’s world, digital skills have proven to no longer be a luxury but a necessity. Despite a recent lapse in federal funding, efforts are still underway across Maine to help bridge the digital divide. 

In the wake of terminated federal funding, state leaders are working to chart a path forward towards closing the digital divide in Maine.

Maine’s Digital Equity Alliance gathered for the third annual Digital Opportunity Workshop, bringing together more than 70 members of Maine’s digital opportunity and broadband community. 

“There’s so much of what we do in our everyday world that’s tied to technology,” said Susan Corbett, Executive Director, National Digital Equity Center, and Co-Chair of the annual Digital Opportunity Workshop. 

In May, the Trump Administration canceled all Digital Equity Act programs. For Maine that meant the loss of three grants totaling around 35 million toward digital equity work. 

“It would have gotten us pretty close to closing the digital divide, but more importantly, to build that digital ecosystem across Maine,” said Corbett. 

Maine wasn’t alone with these cuts, with grant terminations nationwide.

These grants funded programs to improve digital skills, provide internet safety education, and ensure people have affordable devices. 

“That’s a big loss for us and what we’re doing now is trying to re-direct our work and figure out how to bring in money but also how we can fit our work into existing efforts,” said Jessica Perez, Senior Manager, Digital Opportunity, for the Maine Connectivity Authority. 

According to the Maine Connectivity Authority, 89% of Maine residents are impacted by the digital divide. 

“It is catastrophic how much money Mainers lose every year due to frauds and scams,” said Elaine Abbott, Regional Broadband Coordinator for Sunrise County Economic Council. 

Members of the Maine Digital Equity Alliance fear what this could mean for some of Maine’s most vulnerable populations. 

“I’m terrified, I’m terrified as the scams become more sophisticated and without direct training and providing instruction on how to identify not just generic hand outs on what a scam might look like but real life implications with real life examples,” said Abbott. 

The Maine Connectivity Authority has since launched a digital opportunity fund and hope to raise 15 million over the next three years to ensure every Mainer can thrive in the digital age. 

“We know that technology is necessary in this society, that it is only becoming more and more important to use the internet, so the work here is ensuring that Maine people don’t get left behind,” said Perez. 

The MCA will continue to work closely with their state partners and are working towards more sustainable funding options for the future. 

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