Maryland’s Tiny Smith Island Gets Wireline Broadband

Sept. 25, 2025 — A tiny island located in Chesapeake Bay and unreachable by car just got high-speed Internet.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore (D) announced that a nearly $2 million broadband infrastructure project has been completed, bringing high-speed internet service to Smith Island, one of the most remote inhabited areas in the state.

“Leave No One Behind is more than a motto — it’s a governing philosophy,” Moore said. “By bringing broadband to Smith Island, we aren’t just connecting an additional 200 Marylanders to the internet; we are proving our commitment to the highest ideals of our state.”

The project was funded via a grant from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s Office of Statewide Broadband. In June 2024, the office awarded Verizon $1.9 million under the Network Infrastructure Program to build the needed network.

The new service will benefit more than 200 homes and businesses across Smith Island, a car-inaccessible island in Somerset County on the Bay. The upgrade is expected to support telehealth, online learning, streaming, uploads and downloads, and other digital needs.

“Every Marylander deserves high-speed internet access, no matter where they live,” said Jake Day, Secretary of the Department of Housing and Community Development. “Today’s milestone at Smith Island gets us closer to closing the state’s digital divide.”

Tony Lewis, Verizon’s vice president for state and government affairs, praised the partnership: “In partnership with Governor Moore and the state of Maryland, we are able to foster economic growth and open access to entertainment, telehealth, and education resources.”

Moore’s visit to Smith Island was the first by a sitting governor since 1999.