Public agencies building high-speed Internet network

“Initially, the fiber will be for the public sector ? government ? but the hope is that eventually it will offer more opportunities for the private sector,” said Vivian Laxton, county spokeswoman.

The difference “is night and day” between existing T-1 connections and the faster fiber-optic cables that county government, schools, libraries and Carroll Community College are buying, said Rick Gould, the college?s information technology director.

The fiscal year 2007 capital budget includes $7.3 million for the Carroll County Public Network.

As part of the project, the community college tapped into the state?s network, called Network Maryland, at the state police?s Westminster barracks two months ago, and students have noticed quicker Web connections.

“The faculty are telling us that students are now able to access the Internet more rapidly to get their work done and not be delayed by inadequate bandwidth,” Gould said.

But many schools and libraries countywide can?t connect to the barracks to take advantage of the state?s offer to provide free bandwidth ? hence the need for a countywide network, he said.

This new network will build upon the fiber-optic I-Net to which municipalities are now connected, said Gary Davis, the schools? chief information officer. Prestige cable company laid I-Net more than a decade ago.

The network also will eliminate the $600,000 a month now spent on renting T-1 lines, said Steve Powell, county chief of staff.

Verizon and Adelphia/Comcast have not brought high-speed Internet access to Carroll, leaving some residents and businesses to use dial-up.

“Places like Howard County are more developed in terms of the number of businesses that have established operations so there is a greater business community for Verizon to market to, and that has delayed response in Carroll County, where things are more rural,” Gould said.

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