$2 million in U.S. funds to map broadband needs

A coalition of rural Maryland counties will receive $2 million in federal stimulus money to begin mapping broadband needs and existing fiber-optic cable in western, southern and Eastern Shore counties, but it won't pay for building new connections. The Salisbury-based Maryland Broadband Coalition will use $1.5 million from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration over two years to collect information about the need for broadband, as well as what already exists in those areas, and the other $500,000 will go toward planning costs over the next five years. The United States is considered far behind countries in Europe and the Far East in developing this new communications network. "Forty years ago, interstate highways were crucial for economic growth in our rural areas. Now it's the information highway," Maryland U.S. Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski said in a statement.

- Larry Carson