SKOWHEGAN — The Somerset Economic Development Corp. has secured millions of dollars in funds promised years ago to support development of high-speed broadband internet infrastructure in rural Somerset County.

Christian Savage, executive director of the quasi-governmental corporation, told the county’s Board of Commissioners at its meeting Wednesday about the $4.2 million to be disbursed through July 2027. The corporation executed a contract about two weeks ago, he said.

The funds, administered by the quasi-governmental Maine Connectivity Authority, come from an agreement reached in 2019 for the New England Clean Energy Connect power corridor.

The benefits package, centered on millions in rate relief for Central Maine Power Co. customers in Maine, also included $10 million for a state broadband fund. After years of controversy and legal wrangling, Avangrid, the parent company of CMP and NECEC, announced in January the 145-mile transmission line was complete and in operation.

“It’s been seven years of back and forth and conversations, and three years of pretty heavy negotiating,” Savage said.

The economic development corporation received $600,000 from the broadband fund in 2021, according to information Savage gave the commissioners. Of that, $400,000 is set aside for a fiber network extension expected this year along U.S. Route 201 from West Forks to Jackman; $180,000 for municipal technology modernization; and $20,000 for administrative, consulting and legal costs. 

It received an additional $1.2 million when the contract was executed, and is set to receive $1.2 million this July and then another $1.2 million in July 2027. The funds are to be used by June 2030, but the contract can be extended by agreement.

The corporation’s planned use for the funds, Savage wrote in his report to the board, include supporting internet access at libraries and other key community locations, working with county agencies to improve cell service in dead zones and supporting digital skills programming.

The funds are to be used in the “host communities” of the NECEC project: Anson, Caratunk, Embden, Moscow, Starks, The Forks and West Forks, as well as some unorganized territories. The economic development corporation also plans to use the funds in Bingham, which is adjacent to the power lines and considered a service center along the U.S. Route 201 corridor.

“Long-term impact is what we’re looking for with this,” Savage said.

SEDC has been working to develop broadband internet infrastructure for about 20 years. Internet service providers were initially hesitant to invest in the vast, rural county because of low population density, Savage said.

In 2019, SEDC partnered with Premium Choice Broadband to build a new fiber network, reaching 400 properties in Cambridge. Another grant-supported project with Premium Choice, serving 1,400 homes and businesses, brought fiber internet from Greenville to Rockwood and then west to Jackman and Moose River. Savage said the project was unique because there were several portions without existing utility poles, and the county commissioners provided funding for a loan through SEDC.

In recent years, SEDC’s planning efforts and an influx in grants for broadband amid the COVID-19 pandemic drew Fidium Fiber, a brand of Consolidated Communications, to Somerset County, Savage said. Thanks to a multimillion dollar grant, Fidium completed a build out of its network in the Skowhegan area in 2023, serving more than 11,000 customers.

Fidium also expanded along U.S. Route 201 to The Forks area, as well as to Fairfield and Pittsfield. In eastern and western portions of the county, TDS Telecom is upgrading its fiber service with federal funds, Savage said.

The stretch between West Forks and Jackman, to be completed with the NECEC funds, will essentially finish the internet infrastructure upgrades in Somerset County.

“We’re ecstatic to see real results after over 20 years of broadband work in Somerset County,” Savage said via email. “Rural Mainers can now enjoy reliable service as fast as NYC at an affordable price. This was a collaborative approach with town, state and federal agencies and (internet service provider’s) willing to believe and invest in our communities and people.”

The focus now, Savage said, is on helping people with digital skills. The Somerset Economic Development Corp. received more than $650,000 in the last three years to facilitate a digital equity and literacy program providing devices and training, he said. The program, run by Liz Caruso, also a Republican state representative from Caratunk, includes the Somerset Connect Center in Bingham, which is a public co-working, classroom and meeting space.

The new NECEC funds will allow the program to continue, as its previous funding ran out, Savage said.