Broadband Bill Could Show Maine as Unserved, Lawmakers Told

Industry and state officials raised concern about a Maine broadband bill to increase the definition of unserved to areas with speeds less than 100 Mbps symmetrical. The standard is 25/3 Mbps, but user speed tests show many in so-called served areas lack those speeds, said LD-83 sponsor Rep. Walter Riseman (I) at the bicameral Joint Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee’s livestreamed hearing Tuesday. “The status quo is not acceptable,” he said. Telecom Association of Maine (TAM) counsel Benjamin Sanborn said 25/3 Mbps is “baseline” and “not ideal,” but he suggested focusing public dollars on getting everyone to that minimum level first. Companies usually build to much faster speeds, he said. The TAM official questioned the accuracy of user speed tests. Chairman Seth Berry (D) noted the alternative is relying on industry data that treats a census tract as unserved even if only one house is served. That’s a problem in every state, replied Sanborn, adding that Congress recently passed a law to improve maps. Changing to a 100/100 Mbps standard, as proposed in LD-83, would render nearly the entire state unserved, protested Charter Communications Regional Senior Director Melinda Kinney. The cable operator sells residential plans up to 1 Gbps download, but none has an upload speed that high, nor do consumers need that for common activities, she said. Rep. Nicole Grohoski (D) challenged Kinney, asking if people might find use for higher uploads if they were available. Maine Public Advocate Barry Hobbins shared Kinney’s concern about raising the standard to 100 Mbps symmetrical, saying that could hurt rural places because buildout historically happens in the densest areas first. Solving broadband problems takes money, "not a definition change,” said ConnectMaine Authority Chair Nick Battista. Updating unserved’s meaning through legislation is too slow, he said. The FCC should redefine broadband because it’s tough for states to leap without national support, said Peggy Schaffer, the authority’s executive director.