In 2023, Maine Seacoast Mission partnered with Island Institute and Sunrise County Economic Council to help bridge the digital divide experienced in rural Maine communities. These three nonprofits engaged in Maine Connectivity Authority’s (MCA) effort to build a statewide Digital Equity Plan by engaging constituents in respective and overlapping service areas.

The Mission participated in the development of digital equity plans for Washington, Hancock, and Waldo counties. County plans formed Maine’s first statewide Digital Equity Plan, which was recently approved by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. The first approved in the nation, the state plan defines how Maine will ensure households receive affordable, universal high-speed internet access.

“Internet connectivity is necessary for today’s communities,” said Mission President John Zavodny, in a news release. “Without good connectivity a rural community will struggle to attract and retain new businesses and families. We’re thankful to deepen our relationship with key partners to better serve our shared communities.”

As part of the Sunrise County Economic Council’s Washington County Digital Equity Coalition, Mission staff facilitated communications about connectivity habits and needs amongst its constituents. The Mission’s Cherryfield campus also served as a host site for the National Center for Digital Equity (NDEC). Washington County’s digital equity plan includes educating residents about Maine's Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), where access includes financial affordability, access to equipment, and support for training to use digital services. This program gives qualified applicants, including those on SNAP, WIC, and SSI, a $30 credit towards the cost of internet. As of 2023, only 30 percent of eligible Washington County households had applied.

For Maine’s unbridged, outer islands, the Mission worked with Island Institute and represented island residents during meetings of the Hancock and Waldo County Digital Inclusion Coalition. Usually smaller than mainland communities, islands can lack resources for large infrastructure projects, according to the release. Feedback for the plan included fortifying connectivity to access telehealth services. Mission staff working aboard the organization’s flagship vessel, the Sunbeam, facilitated completion of the 2023 statewide digital equity survey of islanders.

About the Mission

Rooted in a history of compassionate service and mutual trust, Maine Seacoast Mission seeks to strengthen coastal and island communities by educating youth, supporting families, and promoting good health. For more information, please visit https://seacoastmission.org/.

About the Institute

The Island Institute is a 40-year-old nonprofit organization, based in Rockland, Maine, that works to sustain Maine’s island and coastal communities and is committed to a just, resilient, and vibrant future for the coast of Maine. For more information, visit http://www.islandinstitute.org.

About Sunrise County Economic Council

The Sunrise County Economic Council (SCEC) initiates and facilitates the creation of jobs and prosperity in Washington County, Maine, by working with a consortium of community-minded businesses, not-for-profit organizations, municipalities and citizens. Learn more at https://www.sunrisecounty.org/.