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The Appalachian Regional Commission yesterday announced the approval of a grant award to the Board of Garrett County Commissioners to fund a broadband feasibility study for the county. The grant provides $50,000, to be matched by county funds, to complete a detailed engineering, design, and business feasibility study to expand broadband Internet service throughout the county.
“This study, when completed in approximately 12 months, will be the road map that the county and Internet service providers will use to reach the goal of 90 percent broadband service availability by 2014,” the commissioners noted in a press release.
The study will also determine the most productive methods to leverage the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act broadband grant that was awarded to Maryland in September 2010. The ARRA grant will deploy approximately 50 miles of fiber backbone in Garrett County, connecting anchor institutions such as schools, Garrett College, libraries, government, and health care and public safety agencies.
The backbone will be “open access,” allowing qualified Internet service providers to offer higher speed/more affordable services to a greater number of homes and businesses throughout the county, according to the commissioners.
The recently completed Garrett County Economic Development Strategic Plan sets the 90 percent broadband availability goal as a major infrastructure milestone. According to the commissioners, expanded broadband availability is key to continued economic growth, educational attainment (student homework assignments, home schooling, distance learning), and community support services (remote health care, online citizen service, public safety/emergency services).
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