Maryland Department of Information Technology

One Maryland Broadband Network (OMBN)

Many of the less-populous, rural areas of Maryland, like the western panhandle and the eastern shore, lack the
reliable and readily-available broadband service necessary for cutting-edge economic development, public
safety, and remote education initiatives. The State of Maryland Department of Information Technology
(DoIT), as part of a public-private consortium, plans to deploy the One Maryland Broadband Network to bring
affordable and abundant broadband to each of Maryland’s 24 counties. The OMBN was established to serve the
broadband needs of the entire state. The project would link together and extend three independent networks:
the state-run networkMaryland; the Inter-County Broadband Network (ICBN), a 10-county consortium; and the
Maryland Broadband Cooperative (MdBC), a rural non-profit carrier. The nearly 650 miles of new fiber in the
rural portions of the state would substantially improve public safety, government services, healthcare delivery,
and education, offering community anchor institutions access speeds between 10 Mbps and 10 Gbps.

Total Award: 
$115240581
BTOP In Action
A member of Maryland DoIT drills a hole in the ground to deploy fiber.

The Maryland Department of Information Technology (DoIT) deployed more than 1,530 miles of fiber as part of the One Maryland Broadband Network (OMBN) project. DoIT plans to deploy nearly 1,600 miles of fiber to provide affordable and abundant broadband services to each of Maryland’s 24 counties, many of which lack reliable and readily available broadband service necessary for cutting-edge economic development, public safety, and distance education initiatives. The project will link and extend three independent networks: the state-run networkMaryland; the Inter-County Broadband Network (ICBN), a 10-county consortium; and the Maryland Broadband Cooperative (MdBC), a rural non-profit carrier. Upon completion, the network will provide access to more than 1,080 community anchor institutions, including K-12 schools, public safety facilities, libraries, community colleges, and government facilities, offering speeds between 10 Mbps and 10 Gbps.

Reports and Documents
Award Documents