MARYLAND — Maryland will gain access to $79.1 million in federal funding after the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration approved the state’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment plan, Gov. Wes Moore (D) announced.
The approval allows the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development to move forward with its Connect Maryland initiative, which aims to provide affordable and equitable high-speed internet access statewide.
“Since 2023, we have connected more than 43,000 homes, representing more than 110,000 Marylanders, to high-speed internet—from Western Maryland to the Eastern Shore and everywhere in between,” Moore said. “This latest federal funding will help connect the last remaining unserved locations to high-speed internet to ensure every Marylander has access to pathways for work, wages and wealth.”
State data shows that 99.5 percent of Maryland is already connected to or has been awarded funding for high-speed, reliable internet. The newly approved funding targets the remaining 0.5 percent, about 9,000 unserved and underserved locations across 18 counties.
With the plan’s approval, all remaining locations statewide have now reached fully awarded funding status. The Department of Housing and Community Development has also launched the Maryland Broadband Completion map, which tracks progress by county. All counties are currently listed as 100% fully funded and will turn green on the map as work advances toward full high-speed internet access.
“The approval from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration marks the final phase of Maryland’s broadband deployment,” said Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Jake Day. “We are shifting to the implementation phase, and looking forward to 100% build out across the state to connect every Marylander by 2030.”
The BEAD plan outlines how the department’s Office of Statewide Broadband will deploy federal funds to strengthen infrastructure, affordability and outreach efforts. Goals include closing connectivity gaps in rural and underserved areas, supporting economic development for small and medium-sized businesses, improving access to digital education and workforce training, expanding telehealth services, and strengthening emergency response communications.