Smith Island, known for being one of Maryland’s most remote residential areas, now has broadband internet access.
Governor Wes Moore and the Maryland Department of House and Community Development traveled to the island Wednesday to mark the completion of the nearly $2 million infrastructure project. It brings high-speed internet to about 200 residents and businesses to the community that is only accessible by boat. The housing and community development department’s Office of Statewide Broadband awarded Verizon $1,946,900 in June 2024 for the project.
The new Verizon service will allow Smith islanders to attend telehealth appointments, take online courses, stream video, and upload/download files more reliably. The food service, hospitality, and tourism industries are also buoyed by the addition of high-speed internet.
“This system will lead Smith Island residents, and especially its small businesses, into the future. There’s no doubt this is a game changer for Smith Island,” said Eddie Somers, president of Smith Island United. Somers tells us quite a few on the island have signed up already, because it’s faster and less costly than their previous internet setups. He says cell phone service has improved significantly as well.
Another way the high-speed internet could help Smith Islanders: to deploy drones that can make medical deliveries across the island’s three villages of Ewell, Tylerton, and Rhodes Point. The median age on Smith Island is 57.2 as of 2023, according to the United States Census Bureau. That’s significantly older than the median age of Marylanders overall (39.3 years old). The medical needs of islanders are especially important as the population ages.
. The visit also included a demonstration from the University of Maryland Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Research and Operations Center, which will use the improved internet access to deploy drone technology for medical deliveries across the island’s three communities. Chesapeake Bay Magazine reported on a pilot program launched a year ago. For Smith Islanders, the drone deliveries could be especially helpful when weather prevents boats from getting in and out of the island, like iced-in winter conditions. Currently, a Maryland state helicopter sometimes has to be launched for emergency medical treatment.
