Rural Internet

Rural internet in Maryland

0.7% of locations in Maryland have no fixed broadband at 25/3 Mbps. The state median rural county sits at 0.6% unserved and 42.2% fiber coverage. Pick your county below for the specific picture.

7 of Maryland's 24 counties are classed as rural by the USDA. Across the whole state the FCC records 12,766 locations with no fixed broadband, out of 1,859,286.

Maryland at a glance

Allegany County, MD: 4.4%, 1,272 of 29,208 locationsAnne Arundel: not publishedBaltimore: not publishedCalvert: not publishedCaroline County, MD: 0.6%, 86 of 13,755 locationsCarroll: not publishedCecil: not publishedCharles: not publishedDorchester County, MD: 5.0%, 822 of 16,490 locationsFrederick: not publishedGarrett County, MD: 6.3%, 1,247 of 19,710 locationsHarford: not publishedHoward: not publishedKent County, MD: 3.9%, 399 of 10,166 locationsMontgomery: not publishedPrince George's: not publishedQueen Anne's: not publishedSt. Mary's: not publishedSomerset: not publishedTalbot County, MD: 0.5%, 87 of 18,640 locationsWashington: not publishedWicomico: not publishedWorcester County, MD: 0.1%, 34 of 34,130 locationsBaltimore: not published

Share of addresses with no fixed broadband at 25/3 Mbps

  • 0.0% to 0.5%
  • 0.5% to 0.6%
  • 0.6% to 3.9%
  • 3.9% to 4.4%
  • 4.4% to 5.0%
  • 5.0% to 6.3%
  • 6.3% and above
  • not published

Darker means a larger share of addresses with no fixed broadband. Select any county to open it.

The ten hardest-served rural counties in Maryland

Ranked by the share of locations with no fixed service at 25/3 Mbps or better.
CountyLocationsUnservedShare unservedFiber share
<a href="/maryland/garrett-county-internet/">Garrett County</a>19,7101,2476.3%42.0%
<a href="/maryland/dorchester-county-internet/">Dorchester County</a>16,4908225.0%12.6%
<a href="/maryland/allegany-county-internet/">Allegany County</a>29,2081,2724.4%11.8%
<a href="/maryland/kent-county-internet/">Kent County</a>10,1663993.9%77.1%
<a href="/maryland/caroline-county-internet/">Caroline County</a>13,755860.6%34.6%
<a href="/maryland/talbot-county-internet/">Talbot County</a>18,640870.5%26.9%
<a href="/maryland/worcester-county-internet/">Worcester County</a>34,130340.1%17.4%

Every rural county in Maryland

What people actually measure in Maryland

Median of real speed tests run on each network during 2024, from M-Lab. This is measured performance, not an advertised plan speed, and not a customer review. The middle-half column shows how consistent a network is: a wide spread means your experience depends heavily on where and when.
NetworkMedian downloadMiddle half of testsMedian uploadLatencyTests
Comcast Cable Communications131 Mbps50.2 Mbps to 319 Mbps21.6 Mbps10 ms176,884
Verizon Business189 Mbps66.5 Mbps to 395 Mbps96.4 Mbps8 ms148,219
Breezeline98.5 Mbps47.9 Mbps to 237 Mbps18.4 Mbps14 ms15,489
AT&T Enterprises39.0 Mbps23.4 Mbps to 64.9 Mbps2.9 Mbps2 ms6,933
Antietam Broadband134 Mbps41.1 Mbps to 351 Mbps25.3 Mbps9 ms6,360
RCN112 Mbps37.5 Mbps to 239 Mbps21.1 Mbps8 ms2,678
Easton Utilities Commission98.8 Mbps46.0 Mbps to 168 Mbps20.9 Mbps9 ms1,596
Armstrong106 Mbps53.5 Mbps to 209 Mbps16.3 Mbps35 ms1,476
Shenandoah Cable Television70.4 Mbps14.8 Mbps to 147 Mbps10.5 Mbps10 ms1,302
Leaseweb USA49.1 Mbps10.8 Mbps to 163 Mbps9.7 Mbps23 ms1,297
Talkie Communications111 Mbps35.2 Mbps to 401 Mbps121 Mbps8 ms1,021
Point Broadband Fiber Holding148 Mbps58.9 Mbps to 262 Mbps61.1 Mbps16 ms856
networkMaryland71.3 Mbps20.9 Mbps to 127 Mbps30.9 Mbps8 ms792
CDNEXT Datacamp46.5 Mbps15.8 Mbps to 124 Mbps10.9 Mbps34 ms731

Cellular networks, measured

The same measurement for the mobile networks behind 5G home internet. These tests come from phones as well as home gateways, so treat them as an indication of network health in the state rather than a home-internet plan speed.
NetworkMedian downloadMiddle half of testsMedian uploadLatencyTests
T-Mobile USA42.5 Mbps9.7 Mbps to 127 Mbps7.9 Mbps25 ms36,186

Latency is the number that decides whether video calls and gaming feel right, and it is where satellite differs most from everything else. Measured data is statewide: below county level there are usually too few tests to report an honest number.

Disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you sign up for a service or buy equipment through one, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes which options we list or the order we rank them in, and we do not accept payment for a better placement.

Options that work statewide

Satellite

Starlink

Low-earth-orbit satellite. Latency is low enough for video calls and most gaming, unlike older satellite services.

Best for
Anywhere with a clear view of the sky and no wired option
Watch out
Hardware costs money up front, and heavy tree cover or a north-facing obstruction will cost you throughput

See Starlink

5G home internet

T-Mobile Home Internet

Home internet over T-Mobile’s cellular network. A gateway box you plug in yourself; no truck roll, no dish.

Best for
Rural addresses that still get a usable T-Mobile signal, often near a highway or a town
Watch out
Availability is decided address by address, not by town. Speed varies with how busy the local tower is.

See T-Mobile Home Internet

5G home internet

Verizon Home Internet

The same idea on Verizon’s network, offered as 5G Home or LTE Home depending on what reaches your address.

Best for
Addresses with Verizon coverage where T-Mobile is weak
Watch out
LTE Home and 5G Home behave very differently. Confirm which one your address actually qualifies for.

See Verizon Home Internet

Fixed wireless

A local fixed-wireless provider

A regional operator beaming service from a tower or ridge to an antenna on your roof. In much of rural America this is the fastest thing available.

Best for
Counties where the FCC data shows large licensed fixed-wireless coverage, which this page tells you
Watch out
Needs line of sight. Quality varies enormously between operators; ask neighbours, not the sales page.

Sources

Page last updated 2026-09-01. The date moves when the underlying data moves, not when the site is rebuilt.