{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/senator-collins-applauds-federal-approval-of-484-million-maine-rural-broadband-grant-by-ntia", "Senator Collins Applauds Federal Approval of $48.4 Million Maine Rural Broadband Grant by NTIA", "2025-11-18", "2025", "2025-11", "Republican", "House", "GA", "Mike Collins", "C001129", "www.collins.senate.gov", "collins", "https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins applauded the announcement that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved Maine\u2019s plan to move forward with $48.4 million to extend high-speed internet service to 21,880 homes and businesses across the state.\n\nSenator Collins co-authored the broadband section of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) with Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and worked closely with the Secretary of Commerce to negotiate the provisions. The IIJA includes $65 billion to expand access to broadband in communities nationwide. The largest broadband program in the infrastructure bill is the BEAD Program, which provides $42.45 billion to expand high-speed internet access across the country. The State of Maine will receive $272 million of these funds. Today\u2019s funding comes from the BEAD program.\n\n\u201cAccess to high-speed Internet is critical to the economy of rural communities, which is why I have long championed expanding access to broadband across Maine,\u201d said Senator Collins. \u201cFrom spurring job creation to supporting telemedicine and education, the Internet unlocks almost endless opportunities. I co-authored the broadband section of the IIJA to help bridge the digital divide between rural and urban areas, and I am pleased that this funding will help our state make historic investments to extend its high-speed network to ensure that thousands of additional Mainers have a reliable connection to their loved ones, co-workers, schools, and medical services.\u201d\n\nMaine\u2019s proposal is among the first in the country to receive NTIA approval. Following NTIA\u2019s 2025 restructuring of the Program, the \u201cBenefit of the Bargain\u201d application round produced requests totaling $48.4 million in federal funds paired with $109 million in private investment, resulting in Maine having one of the lowest average costs per location nationwide.\n\nProjects approved through the BEAD proposal include Maine-based and national providers using a range of technologies, such as fiber, hybrid fiber-coax, and low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite service.\n\nSenator Collins continues to work with the Maine Connectivity Authority, Maine\u2019s internet service providers, the NTIA, and state and local leaders to ensure full implementation of the BEAD Program and to advance the state\u2019s long-term broadband goals.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/senator-collins-applauds-federal-approval-of-484-million-maine-rural-broadband-grant-by-ntia"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.3836410362273455, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}