This rural western MD region has been a posterchild for a community attacking its own broadband challenges. ConxxNE just completed the 4th generation of network upgrades and territory expansion that brings CBRS last mile technology to Allegany County MD and Mineral County West Virginia. The network’s history predates virtually every other community broadband effort in the USA.
Community leaders in rural, western Maryland were desperate to save local jobs and took community connectivity into their own hands. Before they were done their network project met the economic development challenge, earned FEMA recognition as a ‘smart practice’, and launched a new technology transfer business to duplicate the success in other rural towns. This innovative and unique network solution was arguably the first wireless carrier-grade broadband network in the country – in fact it predates the launch of commercial internet
In 1996 using grants from the State of Maryland and the Appalachian Regional Commission, Allegany County created an innovative and unique network solution called AllCoNet. Ultimately, most of the region’s public services and institutional facilities were connected into the AllCoNet network, including public safety, the school system, the library, and Allegany College.
The synergy of having all the county’s resources committed to one network resulted in substantial cost savings for the county. The project was then expanded to include commercial and residential users. Currently, AllCoNet provides communications services to 85% of county residents and 95% of businesses within the county. The county-wide coverage resulted in faster economic growth, increased revenue for the county, and an estimated $850,000 worth of savings annually for AllCoNet users when compared with similar service levels. Since its initial deployment, the network has been upgraded and expanded by virtue of additional government grants and pro-bono labor from Conxx to maintain AllCoNet as a vital community asset and sustain its FEMA designation as a ‘Smart Practice.
News articles about AllCoNet