Baltimore activists and leaders say the city is making steady progress in efforts to bridge the digital divide in the city of 565,000. The efforts have culminated in several grant-fueled initiatives to deliver fiber and wireless to city apartment complexes, a city middle-mile network, and a looming partnership with regional providers to further expand affordable access.
When we last checked in with Baltimore, the city had just doled out $2 million of its American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to bring fiber to 12 new city apartment buildings. The deployment is in partnership with Waves, a nonprofit formerly known as Project Waves.
Waves was first launched in 2018 in direct response to the Trump FCC’s repeal of net neutrality and the general failures of federal telecom policy to address digital inequity. Project Waves (profiled by ILSR in 2023) initially used Point-to-Multipoint wireless connectivity to deliver free wireless broadband service to about 300 multi-dwelling unit (MDU) residents.
Now Baltimore Director of Broadband and Digital Equity Kenya Asli tells Government Technology the city is putting the finishing touches on a Request for Proposal (RFP) to strike a new public-private-partnership with an as-yet-unselected broadband provider. The deal should further expand fiber access to unserved and underserved parts of the city.
“Folks want more options, and so we are bringing in more options,” Asli said.
Data indicates that Baltimore sees some of the highest rates of digital disconnectivity in the nation. Over 96,000 Baltimore households (more than 40 percent of the city) lack wireline Internet service, and 75,000 city residents lack access to a desktop or laptop computer.
Baltimore has used ARPA and other funds to create a $5 million Digital Equity Fund grant program, which is being leveraged to forge partnerships with local nonprofits to expand access and improve local digital literacy. The city’s digital equity report, released last March, details the progress the city has made in bridging the digital divide over the last two years.
In addition to numerous other initiatives, the city says it continues to expand its public Wi-Fi network, FreeBmoreWiFi.
Like many municipalities with a high proportion of low-income and marginalized populations, Baltimore was hit hard by the Republican decision to kill the federal Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provided a $30 broadband discount for low-income families.
“A lot of our residents have lost some measure of trust in government-funded or government-supported programs like these,” Asli notes.
To bridge that funding gap and sagging confidence in government, the city is working tightly with the Housing Authority of Baltimore City, private ISPs, and trusted community organizations. Part of that will involve leveraging the city’s middle mile network to launch a dark fiber leasing program, the revenue from which will be used to fund additional initiatives.
Historically Baltimore has been dominated by a duopoly of Verizon and Comcast. Like so many communities, the lack of competition results in high prices, slow speeds, spotty coverage, and substandard customer service; all problems that disproportionately impact minority communities.
While the city has leveraged Rescue Plan funding for broadband expansion, they likely won’t qualify for infrastructure bill BEAD (Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment) funding because, city leaders say, unreliable FCC maps still falsely list many parts of the city as “served.”
The city hopes its dark fiber leasing plans will help counter any future sag in federal funding. Any ISPs partners chosen by the city for fiber expansion as part of the coming RFP will need to show a dedication to uniform availability and affordability, the city states.
“We will close the gap in Baltimore city,” Asli told Govtech. “And if you don’t believe me, just watch me.”
Inline images courtesy of Project Waves
