Written by Denise Beaver
Carroll County is a statewide leader in addressing high speed broadband connections for community sites, businesses, and citizens. Over the last 15 years significant infrastructure investments have been made to connect all government facilities, schools, and community resources through Carroll Broadband – a 110+ middle mile fiber optic network with capacity to lease.
Over $15.6 million dollars of local funding has built out Carroll Broadband in cooperation with local governments, Carroll County Public Schools, and Carroll Community College. With the recent emphasis and additional funding to expand broadband access from federal and state governments, Carroll is poised to connect even more citizens and businesses to high-speed service. While the county acknowledges that there are connectivity gaps in remote areas, it is working to provide Carroll Broadband information through a newly created citizen broadband webpage.
Connect Maryland through the Office of Statewide Broadband also has a mission to ensure that every Marylander has access to broadband services. To accomplish this goal, the state partners with the private sector and local jurisdictions like Carroll County to reduce, and eventually eliminate, the number of communities and residents being underserved by the current internet infrastructure. Carroll County local Internet Service Provider Quantum Internet & Telephone Service has received $37 million dollars to construct new broadband service to unserved households in north and west Carroll County. Maryland and Carroll County are committing more and more resources to improve and extend broadband access in all rural and suburban areas. Maryland Connect information is found online at Office of Statewide Broadband (maryland.gov).
For businesses, Carroll County Government leases the excess Carroll Broadband dark fiber to Internet Service Providers (ISP’s) to provide the last mile connections and internet access through direct service contracts with the customer. ISP fiber leasing prices are quoted per strand/per month/per mile and are listed in the lease agreement. Some companies have successfully used Carroll Broadband to connect local facilities to improve operations and reduce costs allowing all sites to share common software platforms. Contact Jay Uebel, Broadband Project Manager (juebel@carrollcountymd.gov or 410-386-2309).
Businesses who need high speed broadband in unserved or underserved areas may also qualify for financial assistance through the Carroll Broadband Grant Program to extend service to a business location or registered home-based business. Options to extend Comcast service or connect via another ISP are considered by applying online at carrollbiz.org/carroll-broadband-network. All applicants must be in good standing with the State of Maryland and Carroll County and work with an ISP to determine the project costs to extend the service to their business. If awarded, applicants may be awarded up to 50% matching reimbursement of qualified project costs with a cap of $25,000 per approved project. Over the last few years, we have help to reduce the cost of extending service to many qualified business locations through this grant program.
