Maryland is putting $300M in COVID-19 relief funds toward broadband and digital inclusion

As part of a $3.9 billion allocation of COVID-19 relief funding from the latest federal law, the American Rescue Plan, Maryland is committing $300 million toward broadband and digital equity initiatives. The package is part of an agreement reached between Gov. Larry Hogan (R-MD) and the Democratic legislative leaders of the Maryland General Assembly.

The bill breaks measures to address the digital divide into three areas: physical infrastructure, affordability, and human infrastructure. It has specific funds for broadband infrastructure and deployment, supporting municipal broadband access in the state. On affordability, it provides money for subsidizing broadband service fees and devices. And acknowledging that the digital divide requires more than just the hardware, another set of funds targeted at adoption will go toward a community-centered tech education division within the University System of Maryland, among other programs to support and educate users.