October 23rd, 2012 by WCBC Radio
The Maryland Broadband Cooperative, a statewide group incorporated in 2006 to assist in bringing broadband to rural Maryland, held its annual meeting last week and presented a status report to its member delegates and board of directors. The cooperative has connected to NASA’s Space Flight Facility at Wallops Island; won a $4.7 million mapping and planning grant; shared in Maryland’s $115 million Broadband Stimulus Award and offered broadband services through its member-driven entrepreneurial model. Since 2006, the cooperative has built more than 500 miles of fiber optic cable, executed a resource share agreement with the state to allow access to state fiber, particularly on Interstate 68, and accumulated $23 million in assets. The 73 members work in partnership through the cooperative model. Allegany County Economic and Community Development Director Matt Diaz has completed his term on the board of directors, which began in November 2008.
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