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Rural Maryland Council: broadband gaps persist in Southern Maryland as state and federal programs shift
Summary
Charlotte Davis, executive director of the Rural Maryland Council, briefed the delegation on remaining broadband gaps in Southern Maryland, the end of the federal Affordable Connectivity Program, uncertainty around BEAD equity funds, and cuts to rural regional funding that will reduce grant capacity.
Charlotte Davis, executive director of the Rural Maryland Council, told the Southern Maryland Delegation that broadband remains a critical regional need and that federal and state funding streams are in flux.
Davis said statewide broadband maps show roughly 22,000 households in Maryland lack home broadband access and pointed to state mapping that highlights Southern Maryland gaps. She urged attention to digital inclusion — not only network availability but device access, affordability and digital skills — and noted the governor issued an executive order creating a statewide digital infrastructure group to address last-mile connectivity.
Davis warned the Affordable Connectivity Program (the federal $30 monthly subsidy) ended last year and Maryland’s $15 supplemental subsidy also ended, leaving no current subsidy tool to assist low-income households. She pointed to other states’ actions — New York’s Affordable Broadband Act (recently upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court via denial of review of provider challenges) and California measures — as models to consider for Maryland affordability policy.
Davis also described grant activity and recent budget cuts. Since 2019 the Rural Maryland Council awarded 72 grants totaling over $7 million; the council has funded 662,000 in infrastructure projects and several digital inclusion projects. But she said the council’s operating appropriation was cut from $9,000,000 to $6,000,000 (a 30% reduction) and the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission budget was reduced to $750,000 and will be phased out in future years. She scheduled regional grant application details: a grant program opening April 21 with a letter of intent due May 16 and an in-person Southern Maryland information session.
Davis said Maryland has not yet received federal BEAD (Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment) funds and expressed concern about the ability to access BEAD equity dollars. She highlighted local projects that have used state rural economic funds and Maryland Broadband Cooperative partnerships.
Why it matters: broadband access, affordability and skills affect education, health care, employment and small-business development in Southern Maryland; reduced regional operating funds could limit local grantmaking and technical support.
Provenance: Charlotte Davis delivered the broadband briefing and fielded questions from the delegation.
