LD1096

Allows municipalities to use loans or grants to repay debt for municipally owned fiber-optic broadband infrastructure.

This bill allows municipalities that have financed fiber-optic broadband infrastructure to use loans or grants to repay associated debt. It specifies that the Maine Connectivity Authority may provide such funding to municipal entities unless prohibited by the source of the grant or award. The Municipal Gigabit Broadband Network Access Fund can also be used for this purpose. The bill defines "municipal entity" as a municipality or a group of municipalities working together on a broadband network project.