GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY TO JOIN SENATOR MIKULSKI TO PROMOTE BROADBAND EXPANSION IN SOUTHERN MARYLAND REGION

Will attend broadband demonstration at State Police Barracks in La Plata, Maryland

Charles County site is first to go ‘live’ in broadband network that will connect entire state

ANNAPOLIS, MD  – TODAY, Governor Martin O’Malley will join Senator Barbara Mikulski and other state and local officials at the State Police Barracks in La Plata, Maryland to view a demonstration of how broadband Internet helps public safety organizations. This is the first site on the Maryland Broadband Network to become fully functional, marking a milestone in the path to bring high-speed Internet to all of Maryland.

The new broadband Internet connection in La Plata will allow the Maryland State Police to process large amounts of data quickly, increasing the capacity and reliability of emergency communications.

In 2010, Governor O’Malley, joined by the Maryland Congressional Delegation, announced the state had been awarded more than $115 million in competitive federal grant funds to extend broadband to rural and underserved communities across the state. Expanding broadband is crucial for increasing Internet access and capacity across the state, helping create jobs, improve public safety, increase educational opportunities, improve health care delivery and improve infrastructure for BRAC.