Momentum Builds for Maryland’s Rural Broadband Initiative

Kenrick Gordon, director of the Maryland Governor’s Office of Rural Broadband, sees numerous ways that improved broadband access can transform life and work in rural areas. But sometimes framing this issue is as simple as tying it all back to education. “If our children have to go to McDonald’s to do their homework, that’s not a good thing,” he said. Gov. Larry Hogan (R-MD) revealed a five-year, $100 million plan to expand rural broadband. The dollar amount attached to the plan, which Gordon developed, is an estimation of how much funding it will take to provide last-mile Internet services to unserved households in rural Maryland. About $9.7 million of that figure will be spent during the first year, which will set the tone for what’s to come in the state. The grants will cover up to half of capital construction costs, and a minimum of a 100 percent match is required for the funding. Gordon added that the grants are intended to support larger infrastructure projects and will mostly involve work at the county level. Other details, such as the grant application process, have not been fleshed out and will be addressed by a recently formed advisory committee.