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Carroll County Government | Carroll County, Maryland

Carroll County Government 225 North Center Street Westminster, MD 21157

Westminster, MD, Wednesday, April 24, 2024 - Carroll County is excited to announce the Difficult to Serve – Long Driveway Grant Program, effective immediately.  The county applied and received a grant from the State of Maryland for the FY24 Home Stretch – Difficult to Serve Properties Grant.  In an effort to provide internet to the unserved areas of the county, this grant provides funding assistance up to $14,000 to connect qualifying homes with driveways longer than an internet service provider will connect “for free” as part of the installation.  Pipe Repair Rubber Balloons

Carroll County Government |  Carroll County, Maryland

For a household to be eligible, an internet service provider (ISP) must currently pass the long driveway home with its service. To apply for this grant, the county is asking those interested to complete the Hard to Connect – Long Driveway online application. The application can be found by going to the Broadband section of the county website or by entering “carrollbroadband.info” into a web browser. This will take you to the county’s broadband page where you can find the application and additional county broadband information.  Click on the Hard to Connect – Long Driveway link to get started. The Long Driveway application can also be reached directly by clicking on this link: Carroll County Long Driveway Application.

The county will reach out, via email, to residents who previously completed the county Broadband Survey and answered yes to the long driveway question.

Once an application is received, the county checks the address for eligibility with the service provider. Applicants will receive an email regarding the eligibility status of the property.

Deadline and Time Frame: There is a limited amount of funding for this program.   The first round of applications will close May 31st with applications evaluated on a first come first served basis.  If there are remaining funds, a second round will open, and additional information will be published. Please check the website periodically for updates.

Carroll County Government remains committed to closing the digital divide and helping to provide internet service to the unserved areas of the county.

The Commissioners do not have the authority to tell Internet Service Providers, or private companies, where to expand their service but the county does work with service providers to help them determine where service is needed. Not being a service provider, the county develops public/private partnerships that incentivize local service providers to build last-mile connections where needed. Using these relationships allows more efficient use of grant funds and connects properties more quickly.

If you have questions about the grant or eligibility or would like an updated status on the grant, please contact Carroll County Broadband Project Manager Jay Uebel at 410-386-2309 or juebel@carrollcountymd.gov.

Carroll County, Maryland 410-386-2400

225 North Center Street Westminster, MD 21157 Hours 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Carroll County Government |  Carroll County, Maryland

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