Fiber Optic will provide infrastructure for the future Annapolis, MD (September 20, 2010) - County Executive John R. Leopold announced today that Anne Arundel County has received a $12 million federal grant to expand broadband connectivity throughout the County. "This needed infrastructure will bring our rural areas the tools needed to compete in the marketplace," County Executive Leopold said. "This grant program, in partnership with State of Maryland, will provide jobs and opportunity for our residents." As a partner in the One Maryland Broadband Network Consortium, the Anne Arundel County Office of Information Technology has played a major role in this effort to expand Broadband statewide. They will administer Anne Arundel County’s portion of the grant and expand Broadband deployment according to plans outlined for the Federal National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Starting in six months, the County will construct middle-mile and last-mile fiber optic infrastructure to underserved areas in South County. The grant also allows crews to accelerate fiber deployment to anchor institutions - primarily elementary schools and libraries, and provide statewide fiber interconnection construction to other counties and regions in the state. The County began deployment of its robust fiber optic network in 1995. When completed, fiber optic connections will be in place in all County Schools, Libraries, County Buildings and other Anchor Institutions. | 
