PUBLIC NOTICE: Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Announces Start of Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Challenge Process

NEW CARROLLTON, MD – The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s Office of Statewide Broadband today announced the start of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) broadband challenge process. This process will bring together internet service providers, units of local government, and non-profit organizations throughout Maryland to further the goal of ensuring reliable broadband service across the entire state, and to ensure that BEAD program funds are deployed effectively.

The challenge process will allow eligible participants to challenge the accuracy of existing broadband maps, which is critical to ensuring that federal BEAD program funds are deployed where they are needed most. Challengers will be able to select from a variety of challenge types, including availability, speed, latency, and more.

To be eligible to participate in the challenge process, candidates must be an internet service provider, unit of local government or non-profit organization and have a Costquest Broadband Fabric license. If candidates do not meet these requirements, the department encourages them to reach out to the appropriate units of local government to add their challenge to the list.

The challenge process will start on July 16, 2024. The deadline to submit challenges is August 15, 2024. Detailed information on the challenge process, including registration, can be found here.

For more information on the Office of Statewide Broadband, please visit dhcd.maryland.gov/Broadband/Pages/default.aspx.