Helping students and teachers stay online has been a challenge for school districts across the state. Most cite a lack of bandwidth used to transfer data from one point to another.Baltimore City is starting to boost technology in its schools using the dark fiber network.In 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic, school officials spent almost $40 million to try and bring more of their buildings up to speed.For some time, Chromebooks were in high demand, but even with new tablets, Baltimore City struggled to get students and teachers online and keep them connected. But that s about to become a problem of the past. They ll be able to experience learning in an entirely new way without the limits that we had in place before, said Michael Rading, executive director of information technology at Baltimore City Schools.The school system has invested in what s called dark fiber or the laying of dark fiber lines across the city. It will allow for faster and stronger internet signals in sch
Boom driven by events like food truck Fridays in Jackson, street festivals, sporting events and summer holiday celebration went away with the spread of COVID-19.
By: Johanna Alonso Daily Record business reporter February 25, 2021
High school senior Kimberly Vasquez sits in front of her laptop in her Baltimore home. In November, the 17-year-old senior struggled to access her online classroom because the family’s low-cost broadband plan, Comcast Internet Essentials, does not provide the bandwidth for her and her two sisters to stream teleconferencing applications at the same time. (Courtesy of Kimberly Vasquez)
Maryland’s goal of developing a broadband network for students in rural areas by August 2021 has been pushed back several months.
The delay was caused by “necessary agreements between all the groups involved” taking longer than expected, said Kendrick Gordon, the director of the Governor’s Office of Rural Broadband.