Customer Connect Subsidy Program

Get connected with high speed internet

Garrett County Government offers subsidies for bringing broadband service to difficult-to-serve addresses in Garrett County. 

Any resident who has been quoted a price to reach their home with broadband service that is out of their budget, please reach out to:

Cheryl DeBerry, Broadband & Energy Manager
[email protected]
301-914-1543

How the program works

  • A potential customer reaches out to an internet service provider, requesting service
  • The Internet service provider assesses the situation and develops a budget to reach the home

The potential customer either:

  1. Can afford to pay the full amount of the requested customer contribution (no need for subsidy)
  2. Can only afford to pay a portion of the full amount of the requested customer contribution*
  3. Cannot afford to pay any of the requested customer contribution*

*The Customer Connect Subsidy Program may be able to help with situations #2 and #3 above.  The customer can ask the internet service provider to request a subsidy, or the customer may request the subsidy themselves by reaching out to the contact listed above.  If the customer requests the subsidy, the County will work with the internet service provider to develop a budget for the project.

If the subsidy is approved, an agreement will be drafted to include the customer, the County, and the internet service provider that will lay out the budget and how the program works.  Once the agreement is signed by all parties, the project may get started. 

There are limitations with the subsidy program:

  1. All payments are made directly to the internet service provider.  
  2. The customer may be asked to contribute to the project, up to 10% of the requested subsidy amount, if possible.  Customers that qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) are exempt from any customer contribution (200% of the federal poverty rate - the income chart is listed here on the chromebook page.)
  3. Program funding is limited.  
  4. Funding per project is limited.  
  5. Internet service providers must also contribute to each project and must participate in ACP to qualify (if the program is funded).  Only valid expenses directly related to connecting a customer to broadband service qualify for the program.  
  6. No direct customer expenses can be paid or reimbursed.