State of Maryland Awards More Than $3.8 Million Through Computer Labs Program
Grants will expand public access to technology devices and high-speed internet, connecting more Marylanders to jobs and other economic opportunities
NEW CARROLLTON, MD (January 23, 2025) – Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Jake Day today announced awards through the Office of Statewide Broadband’s Computer Labs Program. Grants will support the creation and expansion of computer labs and centers to provide public access to technology devices like computers and broadband for vulnerable and underserved Marylanders, creating new pathways to jobs and other economic opportunities across the state.
The total project cost is $5.7 million, which reflects an almost $2 million dollar investment from private capital as match. The program to increase statewide access to digital resources will administer more than $3.8 million in grants to 73 local governments, nonprofit organizations, and community anchor institutions across Maryland.
“The goal is to provide high-speed internet access for all Marylanders, connecting them with jobs and other economic opportunities. That includes vulnerable Marylanders – our veterans, our neighbors struggling with homelessness, individuals with disabilities, households that can’t afford computers or tablets, or those returning from incarceration,” said Secretary Day. “The grants from the Computer Labs Program will help maintain and expand public facilities to ensure open, equitable, and essential access to broadband service, devices, and digital literacy for these underserved groups, creating pathways to work, wages, and wealth.”
Part of the Connect Maryland initiative to provide all Marylanders with affordable and equitable access to high-speed internet, the Computer Labs Program awarded grants of up to $65,000 for the construction of new computer labs or upgrading and retrofitting existing labs and centers throughout Maryland. Grants can also fund up to $10,000 for the computer lab’s internet service subscription costs for up to three years.
The majority of those served by facilities receiving Computer Labs Program grants must be members of at least one or more of several underserved population categories, including individuals with disabilities, homeless/unhoused individuals, veterans, and incarcerated/returning citizens. The Computer Labs Program is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and all federal rules related to the Act apply to the program.
“The Computer Labs Program is an important new addition to the Connect Maryland initiative. It’s the state’s first program that directly supports public computing facilities, places that often provide the only means for some Marylanders to access the internet,” said the Office of Statewide Broadband Director Ronnie Hammond. “The Office of Statewide Broadband will continue to partner with local governments, nonprofit organizations, community institutions, and other invested stakeholders to improve infrastructure, promote access to digital resources, and, ultimately, deliver high-speed internet service to every individual, household, and business in Maryland.”
The Connect Maryland Initiative has invested more than $350 million into infrastructure and equity programs and provided broadband access to an estimated 52,000 previously unserved homes and businesses statewide.
For more information on the Computer Labs Program, visit the Office of Statewide Broadband Grant Programs page. Organizations interested in future digital equity grant opportunities through the Office of Statewide Broadband are encouraged to complete the Digital Equity Capacity Grant Interest Form.
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