ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Wes Moore has announced a significant $19.6 million allocation for the Fiscal Year 2024, aimed at enhancing high-speed, affordable internet access across Maryland. The funds are part of a new program administered by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s Office of Statewide Broadband, designed to connect approximately 2,400 unserved households in its first round.
“To leave no one behind, we need to get everyone online – especially those who have been historically beyond the reach of traditional efforts to narrow the digital divide,” stated Governor Moore. “By moving in partnership, we are extending broadband access to more Marylanders, meeting people where they are, and creating new pathways to prosperity for all.”
New Initiative for Unserved Households
The program, titled “Home Stretch for Difficult to Serve Properties,” is part of a broader initiative aimed at providing internet access to the remaining unconnected households in Maryland. As of April 2024, approximately 21,000 households in the state lack internet access. The initiative will also include another program, “Home Stretch for Public Housing,” with awards to be announced soon.
Both programs are funded through the U.S. Treasury’s American Rescue Plan Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund and are key components of the Office of Statewide Broadband’s Connect Maryland initiative. This initiative provides financial support to local jurisdictions to enhance digital access efforts statewide.
Addressing Geographic Challenges
“Access to high-speed internet is essential to building equitable pathways to economic, educational, and social opportunities for all Marylanders,” said Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Jake Day. “These funds will help the Office of Statewide Broadband partner with local governments and internet service providers to close critical, ‘home stretch’ gaps in their broadband infrastructure to provide that essential access for unserved homes in their communities.”
The Home Stretch for Difficult to Serve Properties program specifically targets households that are challenging to connect due to their distance from existing broadband infrastructure or other geographic barriers. In this first round of funding, 18 jurisdictions received awards, and every jurisdiction that applied was granted funds.
Expanding Broadband Infrastructure
Since its inception in 2017, the Office of Statewide Broadband has been dedicated to ensuring that all Maryland households have access to broadband. To date, it has invested over $270 million into expanding broadband infrastructure and increasing digital equity. These efforts have successfully provided high-speed internet access to an estimated 52,000 previously unserved homes and businesses across the state.
For more detailed information about the Home Stretch initiative and the activities of the Office of Statewide Broadband, interested parties can visit the Department of Housing and Community Development’s website at dhcd.maryland.gov/Broadband.
