State to Deploy $268M in Federal Funding to Expand High-Speed Internet Access in Maryland

This week, Governor Wes Moore announced more than $267 million in federal funding to bring high-speed internet access to every Marylander. As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, funding from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration will assist in closing the remaining gaps in high-speed Internet service in the state and expanding digital equity initiatives for Marylanders.

States, D.C., and territories will use funding from the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to administer grant programs within their borders. Funding is determined by a formula using the number of households and businesses lacking broadband access.

“This funding is critical to connecting every Marylander and ensuring that all residents have access to the Internet to receive important information and participate in the economy,” said Governor Moore. “We are grateful to our federal partners and for the leadership that the Biden Administration and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration are showing to close the digital divide.”

The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Office of Statewide Broadband is developing a plan for how the funding will be deployed through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. The Office of Statewide Broadband held four webinars and four outreach conferences this past spring to solicit feedback on what Marylanders and jurisdictions would like to see incorporated into the plan.

Since the Office of Statewide Broadband was founded, it has invested more than $300 million into broadband infrastructure and equity programs. That investment has provided high-speed internet access to an estimated 52,000 previously unserved homes and businesses statewide.

In 2022, the Office of Statewide Broadband received federal planning grants for the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment program and the Digital Equity Act program. The funding is being used to develop the framework for deploying the funding to unserved and underserved broadband regions throughout the state and providing resources to increase access to technology and education.

For more information about the Office of Statewide Broadband, visit https://dhcd.maryland.gov/Broadband/.

At the MACo Summer Conference session, “Broadening Broadband – A Collaborative Approach,” an expert panel will break down new state and federal funding opportunities, best practices for overcoming hurdles to deployment, and opportunities for collaboration to coordination to expand access to unserved residents across the state. 

The 2023 MACo Summer Conference is August 16-19, 2023, at the Roland Powell Convention Center in Ocean City, Maryland.

Learn more about MACo’s Summer Conference: