Maine loses $35M in online safety, digital skills federal grants for rural and older residents

The federal government has terminated $35 million of funding that would have provided digital skills and online safety for rural Mainers, veterans and low-income residents. 

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration told the Maine Connectivity Authority, the agency leading broadband expansion in the state, that it was terminating three grants as of Friday. According to a news release from the state agency, the grants funded programs that would have served nearly 130,000 people by helping improve digital skills, provide internet safety education and ensure people have affordable devices. 

Maine Connectivity Authority (MCA) has been preparing to use these funds since 2022 through the creation of the state’s Digital Equity Plan. They came from the bipartisan Digital Equity Act of 2021 that President Donald Trump called “racist” and “totally unconstitutional” the day before MCA received the termination notice. 

“This announcement is deeply disappointing, and MCA is exploring Maine’s options to respond to the legality of the grant termination,” said President Andrew Butcher.

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

The agency conducted a statewide survey in 2023 that showed more than nine in 10 people are worried about staying safe online and don’t feel they have the tools to protect themselves and their families. Additionally, the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston found more than 2,000 people in Maine fell victim to internet crimes that year, costing more than $31 million.

The three affected grants include $10 million to fund a statewide device donation and refurbishment campaign, as well as another $11 million for the Greater Portland Council of Governments to provide digital services for municipal governments, device programs, digital skills education, business support programs and more. 

“These programs are not abstract policy initiatives — they are lifelines for thousands of Maine residents who depend on digital access for education, healthcare, employment and basic communication,” said Kristina Egan, executive director of the Greater Portland Council of Governments.

The remaining $13.8 million was supposed to help the National Digital Equity Center partner with over a dozen community organizations throughout the state to provide digital skills, technical support, telehealth access and affordable device programs.

While the cuts could disproportionally affect older Mainers, small businesses, students, veterans and low-income residents, the programs affected are separate from the state and federally funded broadband infrastructure grants.