On Wednesday, Gov. Wes Moore said the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration has approved proposals for Maryland’s Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment plan.
The approval allows access to $267.7 million in federal funding to support the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s Connect Maryland initiative to provide all Marylanders with affordable and equitable access to high-speed internet.
“The Biden-Harris administration has been an extraordinary partner in our work to close the digital divide in Maryland, from the West to the East Coast and everywhere in between,” Moore said. “Thanks to strong federal support, we are taking a major step forward in our work to connect all Marylanders to affordable, high-speed internet. To leave no one behind, we need everyone to have internet access.”
The BEAD program is part of the Biden-Harris administration’s “Internet for All” initiative, which provides $42.45 billion in grants authorized by President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Act to states, territories, and the District of Columbia. The funds can be used to deploy or upgrade high-speed internet networks to ensure access to reliable, affordable, high-speed internet service.
Once infrastructure goals are met, any remaining BEAD funding can support high-speed Internet adoption, Internet literacy training, and workforce development efforts.
“Today, Maryland can move from planning to action with its Internet for All initiatives,” said Alan Davidson, Under Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. “I commend Maryland’s Broadband Office for developing a robust proposal for how they will connect all of their residents to high-speed Internet service.”
Maryland’s BEAD Volume 1 proposal outlines the Broadband Availability Challenge Process, which aims to ensure accurate broadband mapping and target investments to areas with the greatest need for high-speed Internet access by tracking existing broadband funding, unserved or underserved locations, and the availability of referral community institutions.
Maryland’s BEAD Volume 2 proposal outlines how the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development will transparently and efficiently use federal funds to strengthen the infrastructure, affordability, and outreach goals of the Connect Maryland initiative by:
- Bridging the digital divide with targeted strategies to address accessibility gaps in rural and marginalized areas;
- Promote economic development, innovation and resilience by improving the connectivity of businesses, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises;
- Improve education and workforce development to help students and workers succeed in a digital environment where remote learning and online job training are increasingly prevalent;
- Support public health and safety by improving connectivity of emergency response systems and communications, as well as expanding access to telehealth services;
- And empower communities by involving local residents and stakeholders in the planning and implementation process to build trust and ensure sustainable progress that meets the unique challenges of different regions and communities.
“Connect Maryland’s goal of providing affordable and equitable broadband access for all requires cooperation across federal, state and local levels of government, as well as support from local internet service providers, community institutions and residents,” said Jake Day, Secretary of the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. “This proposal strengthens the State Broadband Office’s productive partnership with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and creates a comprehensive, achievable plan to deliver reliable connectivity and digital literacy to Marylanders who are currently unserved or underserved.”
For more information about Connect Maryland, BEAD, and other Internet initiatives, visit dhcd.maryland.gov/Broadband.
Originally Posted: July 11, 2024 at 10:20 am
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