Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski and Comcast announced a $7.4 million grant supporting the expansion of high-speed broadband service to 450 homes in rural northern Baltimore County.
The grant comes from the Maryland Office of Broadband’s Connect Maryland Network Infrastructure Grant Program. This, along with prior grant-funded expansion efforts, will allow the county to bring high-speed internet access to 99 percent of unserved northern Baltimore County residences.
The first phase of expansion by Baltimore County and Comcast took place in 2021 and supported nearly 900 homes. That phase is scheduled to be completed this summer.
In 2022, the second phase was announced, supporting nearly 1,000 homes and completion is expected in 2024.
According to the press announcement, the grant “through the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Office of Statewide Broadband, Baltimore County and Comcast will provide broadband expansion to nearly 450 additional homes. This project is expected to be completed in 2025.”
“Today’s announcement is a major milestone for Baltimore County and we are excited to connect more residents to the game-changing power of broadband,” said Michael Parker, Senior Vice President for Comcast’s Beltway Region. “We have a shared mission with the county and state of Maryland to bridge the digital divide – and this partnership is a critical step in getting there.”
Olszewski campaigned on expanding broadband access while running for office. According to the press announcement, “[s]hortly after taking office, the Olszewski administration determined that over 2,500 homes in northern Baltimore County did not have access to reliable wired broadband internet service.”
“We are fully committed to bridging the digital divide in Baltimore County, and this generous investment in connectivity infrastructure further expands access to high-speed internet to nearly every home in Northern Baltimore County,” said Olszewski. “This partnership with the state and Comcast is essential in ensuring residents have access to critical technology and the digital economy by providing universal broadband.”
Baltimore County, the state of Maryland, and Comcast have dedicated more than $23 million total since 2019 through the Connect Maryland Initiative to help bridge the rural digital divide in northern Baltimore County.
“Broadband is the utility that will determine economic outcomes in much the same way water and sewer systems have for the past 150 years,” said Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Jake Day. “Full participation in the digital economy is essential for resolving inequities for countless Marylanders and the Office of Statewide Broadband is committed to closing the digital divide.”
The grant helps fulfill Baltimore County’s Digital Equity Plan, which has three pillars: Affordability, Digital Education, and Serviceability. The affordability facet involves providing service regardless of a resident’s economic status through “public and private investment in the community, forging partnerships with carriers and private entities to provide free broadband services for low-income households.” The county’s partnership with Comcast is an example of this.
The digital education facet focuses on helping residents’ “find, evaluate and clearly communicate information on various digital platforms. It is evaluated by an individual’s grammar, composition, typing skills and ability to produce text, images, audio and designs using technology.” The county offers education and training programs to its residents to help improve digital literacy.
The serviceability pillar will also be strengthened by this grant and the ongoing partnership with Comcast, as the goal is to get high-speed internet access to parts of the county that lack the “wiring” or infrastructure to support it. This latest phase of funding will continue to help close the gap “to ensure residents in the northern area of the County can receive reliable, quality broadband service,” a stated goal of Baltimore County’s Digital Equity Plan.
