Years of investment in broadband infrastructure and digital inclusion continue to reshape connectivity across Howard County.
Howard County is continuing to expand broadband access and digital inclusion efforts, with new free public Wi-Fi now available at the Columbia Lakefront. The expansion increases access to Howard County’s public Wi-Fi network, which now includes 118 locations at parks, libraries, community centers, senior centers, and other public facilities throughout the county.
From the press release:
Access to the digital world has become just as important as access to physical spaces. It connects residents to education, employment, healthcare, government services, and loved ones near and far, said County Executive Calvin Ball.
The project builds on Howard County’s Transform Howard initiative, launched in 2021 to make the county a national model for digital inclusion through investments in broadband infrastructure and affordability. Through the initiative, the county announced in 2022 that 85% of previously unserved households would gain broadband access, helping close connectivity gaps in underserved communities. Since 2019, Howard County has increased network capacity from 10 Gbps to 100 Gbps and expanded its fiber-optic network to connect more than 250 sites across the county.
Howard County has also partnered with organizations including the Columbia Association, the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, and Verizon to expand broadband access and improve connectivity in underserved areas. Recent projects have brought free Wi-Fi to Columbia Association pools and expanded broadband service to hundreds of previously unserved households in western Howard County and other communities.
The Columbia Lakefront expansion represents the latest step in Howard County’s ongoing efforts to improve broadband access, strengthen digital equity, and support residents’ connectivity needs in public spaces.
