As Senator Barbara Mikulski noted when she announced the OMBN grant award, “Broadband is the information superhighway we need to bring the jobs of tomorrow to Maryland. It is absolutely critical to Maryland’s economic future, because it creates jobs, fosters business growth and sparks innovation.”
In addition to spurring economic development, OMBN will also deliver myriad other benefits. Governor Martin O’Malley explained that with the OMBN project, “Maryland will be able to provide critical access to affordable and abundant broadband for underserved areas throughout our State. This infrastructure will not only pave the way for the future of high-speed internet service in our State, but will expand economic opportunities, create jobs, increase our ability to provide public safety and health services, and strengthen our small business communities. Together, we can make Maryland one of the best connected states in the nation.”
In short, the One Maryland Broadband Network (OMBN) was designed to achieve the broad range of goals established by the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) for community infrastructure projects, including:
- Expanding the availability of broadband services for residents in unserved and underserved areas
- Providing broadband access to schools, libraries, community colleges, medical or healthcare providers, and community support organizations
- Enabling broadband access for low-income, unemployed, and other vulnerable populations
- Improving broadband access for public safety agencies