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Council accepts $1.1M Connect Maryland grant; county to pass funds through to local ISPs
Summary
Wicomico County accepted a $1.1 million Connect Maryland grant to extend service to difficult-to-reach properties; county staff said funding will be passed through to participating ISPs under subrecipient agreements and that individual projects receive up to $8,000 each.
Wicomico County on Jan. 21 unanimously accepted a $1.1 million grant from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development through the Office of Statewide Broadband to serve hard-to-reach addresses.
Why it matters: County staff said the award targets “edge-of-network” locations — for example homes at the end of long driveways — that are near existing broadband buildouts but were not served by previous grant rounds. The county will not manage construction; it will execute subrecipient agreements and pass grant funds to internet service providers (ISPs) who applied and committed to meet the grant’s requirements.
Key points from council discussion: - County staff identified four ISPs that had expressed interest in participating: Chop Tank Fiber, Comcast, SimpleFiber and Tawke/Talkie (as named in the meeting). Staff said two of those providers already have state grants and ongoing builds in the county. - Project-level award: staff said the program funds small “edge” projects with maximum awards of about $8,000 per project to extend service down long driveways or lanes. - County role: the county will be the grant recipient for state purposes and act as pass-through administrator. The ISPs will be responsible for meeting matching requirements and filing required reports; the county will require subrecipient agreements that limit county financial risk. - Mapping and transparency: staff pointed council members to the state-maintained broadband maps showing provider footprints and active grant-funded builds; staff said the county included a link for the public.
What council approved: Resolution 15-2025, to accept the grant and authorize staff to draft and use subrecipient agreements with ISPs so projects can proceed. Council members asked for and received clarifications that projects would be limited to the specified small extension amount and that additional state rounds could follow.
Implementation notes: Grants administrator Laurie Carter and IT Director John Molnar said the ISPs would submit project details and matching information to the county, which will forward required state reports. Staff warned the county cannot contract with ISPs for work until it formally accepts the grant; accepting the award is the prerequisite that allows staff to finalize subrecipient agreements and move to contracting.
Who spoke: Pam Olin (finance director), Laurie Carter (grants administrator), John Molnar (IT director) answered council questions on scope, maps, and next steps.
What’s next: County staff will finalize subrecipient agreements and begin intake of ISP project proposals as allowed under the state grant terms. ISPs and residents will use the state broadband map for eligibility checks and to view active builds.
