Grant Expands St. Mary’s Internet Access

St. Mary’s County government and public schools joined together to win a state grant for $1.7 million to continue the effort to bring broadband internet connections to unserved populations in St. Mary’s County.

These funds through the Broadband for Unserved Students Grant will supplement approximately $3 million already invested through Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding used to improve existing internet and cable infrastructure in St. Mary’s County.

Superintendent of Schools James Scott Smith said these funds will provide “the final connection for the majority of homes in St. Mary’s County where kids reside.”

The school system has also purchased sufficient laptops and iPads through the reallocation of several grants received by the St. Mary’s County Board of Education.

The grant application submitted by St. Mary’s identified 580 households currently underserved. Following cable installation scheduled to start in September, funded through the Broadband for Unserved Students Grant, homes more than 1000 feet from the existing cable plant will remain unserved. The school system will order mobile hotspots, also funded by the grant, to fill the internet service gaps.

More information on available local broadband access is here.