The Maine Connectivity Authority (MCA) has successfully enabled homes and businesses in remote areas of Maine to access low-Earth orbit satellite internet service from Starlink.

This initiative is viewed as a crucial step in bridging the digital divide in rural Maine, with ongoing monitoring of performance data expected to assess its impact.

Starlink users in Maine have reported a median download speed of 116.77 Mbps, exceeding the FCC's broadband threshold of 100 Mbps.

In fact, Maine ranks 9th in Ookla's U.S. Broadband report, showing a 30% increase in broadband speed users year-on-year from the first half of 2023 to the first half of 2024.

These current speed test results are based on existing equipment and satellite constellations, with improvements anticipated as newer technology and satellite launches occur.

The FCC classifies internet access based on speed, distinguishing unserved areas (below 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload) from underserved areas (above 25/3 Mbps).

From October 1 to December 15, 2024, the 10th percentile of Starlink users experienced a download speed of 22.81 Mbps, while the median upload speed was 18.17 Mbps, which is close to the FCC's minimum target.