Microsoft and RTO Wireless are partnering to expand broadband internet service to more than 290,000 people in New York and Maine.

A spokeswoman said Monday that the project will roll out over a seven-year period, reaching 165,000 people in New York state and 125,000 people in Maine.

Shelley McKinley, Microsoft’s head of technology and corporate responsibility, said the partnership will bring broadband to students, farmers, educators and business owners in upstate New York and western Maine.

The partnership is part of the Microsoft Airband Initiative, which aims to extend broadband access to 2 million people by July 4, 2022. It complements the “broadband for all” initiative in New York.