update
2023 Year-End Report
The Schoodic Peninsula Broadband Committee
(SPBC) formed in early 2022 from membership of both the Winter Harbor
and Gouldsboro Broadband Committees. We are volunteers from our
communities working with experts to bring faster, reliable, and
affordable Internet access to every household and business in Winter
Harbor and Gouldsboro. To date, we have received grant funding totaling
$18,000.00 to facilitate the research, outreach, and planning it takes
to implement a Peninsula-wide broadband improvement project. In 2023,
SPBC participated in the Maine Connectivity Authority's "Get Ready" Community Support program, linking us with broadband planning experts and technical support.
The SPBC hosted its first community outreach event on April 26, 2023 at
the Gouldsboro Recreation Center. We held two additional events
throughout the summer at Hammond Hall in Winter Harbor, and at the
Peninsula School in Prospect Harbor. At each event, we covered the
basics of broadband Internet access and the different approaches
possible to improve access for all Schoodic Peninsula residents and
businesses. The committee meets regularly over Zoom and encourages
anyone interested in attending to use this meeting link.
Feel free to share it with others or have them reach out to us to get
access. Agendas and minutes for past meetings can be viewed by visiting
schoodicbroadband.org, and you can email us at schoodicpeninsulabroadband@gmail.com.
In Fall of 2023 we used what we learned and heard from residents to
develop a request for proposals (RFP) with the support of Mission
Broadband. The proposal sought to identify an Internet Service Provider
(ISP) who could help us develop a business model and deploy a
fiber-to-the-premise solution that would serve all residents and
businesses in the Towns of Gouldsboro and Winter Harbor. Two ISPs
responded to this RFP. In the beginning of 2024, we will engage with
representatives of these providers to discuss their proposals and hope
to choose a partner that will help us develop our plans, identify
resources, and apply for our share of the$272 million in federal grants coming to Maine as the BEAD (Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment) Program, when those funds become available.
The current membership of the SPBC is as follows:
Bob Bostinto, Co-chair, Winter Harbor
Roy Gott, Co-chair, Schoodic Institute IT Manager
Rhiannon Alley, Winter Harbor, former Connectivity Booster
Sandy Fortin, Winter Harbor
Mark Perka, Gouldsboro
Mike Summerer, Gouldsboro
Tom Towle, Gouldsboro
As always, please spread the word and encourage others to join our
mailing list (they can sign up here at our website) to stay informed of
the progress on this crucial work, and share your ideas with us.
