Digital Inclusion on the Eastern Shore
Jan Plotczyk • February 16, 2021
We’ve become more dependent than ever, due to the pandemic, on access to the internet and the devices that enable us to connect. And the pandemic has illuminated, in stark terms, just how unequal that access is.
At a time when schools are partially or totally online, medical appointments take place over Zoom, court proceedings happen virtually, and coronavirus vaccination appointments are scheduled via the internet, to be without these tools is more serious than just an inconvenience. Computers and internet access are essential, and people who lack these assets are at a great disadvantage.
The Abell Foundation released a report recently — Disconnected in Maryland — that analyzes the scope of this problem in the state and region. The report divides the Eastern Shore into the Upper and Mid-Shore (Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne's, and Talbot Counties), Lower Shore (Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester Counties), and Cecil County.
The report looks at two measures of digital inclusion: access to wireline broadband internet service at home and possession of a computer at home with which to connect to the internet.
Broadband service refers to high-speed internet access. Wireline broadband is a subset, and includes DSL, cable, and fiber.
- Digital subscriber line (DSL) services transmit data to the home using traditional copper telephone wires; data transmission speeds are faster than dial-up but typically pretty slow for residential customers, averaging from 0.5 to 8 Mbps (megabits per second).
- Cable modem services provide internet access using the same coaxial cables that deliver picture and sound to your TV; faster than DSL, cable can have speeds of from 0.5 to up to 52 Mbps.
- Fiber optic technology converts data to light and sends that light through transparent glass fiber about the diameter of a human hair; speeds far exceed current DSL or cable modem speeds, up to a gigabite per second (10,000 Mbps).
According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), to qualify as broadband, an internet service must deliver at least 25 Mbps download speed and at least 3 Mbps upload speed. This requirement disqualifies much DSL coverage from the broadband category, even though DSL is technically a wireline service. Importantly, the FCC figure is also the data speed requirement for much online school software. The report does not make the speed distinction, and so its estimates of broadband access are probably overstated.
The Eastern Shore has fewer connected households than Maryland as a whole. In the Upper and Mid-Shore counties, 36 percent of households do not have broadband subscriptions at home. On the Lower Shore, the figure is similar, at 35 percent of households. Twenty-seven percent of Cecil County households are without that access. In Maryland that figure is 23 percent.
The second measure of digital inclusion used by the report is possession of a computer (desktop or laptop) at home with which to connect to the internet. In the Upper and Mid-Shore counties and the Lower Shore counties, 23 percent of households do not have a computer at home. In Cecil County that figure is 20 percent. In Maryland it is 18 percent. Again, Eastern Shore households are worse off than Maryland as a whole. (Note: an additional 4 to 5 percent of households have access to a tablet at home.)
The Abell report also looks at statewide adoption of these technologies by income, race and ethnicity, age, and households with children under 18.
As expected, income is the greatest factor for whether a household has access to broadband and computers. Over half of households with incomes under $25,000 per year do not have broadband access at home, and nearly half do not have a computer at home. For households with incomes between $25,000 and $50,000 per year, over a third do not have broadband access at home, and 29 percent do not have a computer at home.
Broadband access and ownership of computing devices by African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans are below state averages overall. A quarter or more of those households do not have broadband access or a computer at home.
Younger adults are more likely to have broadband access and computers. The gap in technology adoption is very large for people 75 and older. For all Marylanders 65 or older, over a third do not have broadband subscriptions at home and over a quarter do not have a computer. Seniors are disproportionally affected by the resulting inability to conduct medical appointments remotely and schedule covid-19 vaccinations.
In households with children under 18, a lack of technology has potential for widespread and long-lasting consequences when school is held virtually. Missing school and falling behind can result in dropping out of high school, and have long-term negative consequences for future employment and income potential.
In low-income households (income less than $50,000) with children under 18, nearly a third of households lack broadband access at home, and over a quarter do not have a computer at home. In Hispanic households with children under 18, almost a quarter do not have broadband access or computers at home. Nineteen percent of African American households with children under 18 do not have broadband access, and 15 percent do not have computers at home.
A recent McKinsey report on Covid-19 and Learning Loss states: “The pandemic has both illuminated and magnified the persistent disparities between different races and income groups in the United States. In education, the pandemic has forced the most vulnerable students into the least desirable learning situations with inadequate tools and support systems to navigate them.”
How can we address these problems? There are no short-term fixes for pervasive problems like these, but establishing a statewide Office of Digital Inclusion would be a step in the right direction.
Sen. Sarah Elfreth (D-Anne Arundel) and Del. Carol Krimm (D-Frederick) have introduced the Digital Connectivity Act of 2021 (SB66 and HB97), which would establish an Office of Digital Inclusion to ensure that every resident of Maryland has the ability to connect to reliable, affordable broadband internet by 2030, and has the tools necessary to use and take advantage of the internet.
This legislation could start to make a difference for many families on the Eastern Shore.
Jan Plotczyk spent 25 years as a survey and education statistician with the federal government, at the Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. She retired to Rock Hall.
Common Sense for the Eastern Shore
Megan Outten, a lifelong Wicomico County resident and former Salisbury City Councilwoman, officially announced her candidacy recently for Wicomico County Council, District 7. At 33, Outten brings the energy of a new generation combined with a proven record of public service and results-driven leadership. “I’m running because Wicomico deserves better,” Outten said. “Too often, our communities are expected to do more with less. We’re facing underfunded schools, limited economic opportunities, and years of neglected infrastructure. I believe Wicomico deserves leadership that listens, plans ahead, and delivers real, measurable results.” A Record of Action and A Vision for the Future On Salisbury’s City Council, Outten earned a reputation for her proactive, hands-on approach — working directly with residents to close infrastructure gaps, support first responders, and ensure everyday voices were heard. Now she’s bringing that same focus to the County Council, with priorities centered on affordability, public safety, and stronger, more resilient communities. Key Priorities for District 7: Fully fund public schools so every child has the opportunity to succeed. Fix aging infrastructure and county services through proactive investment. Keep Wicomico affordable with smarter planning and pathways to homeownership. Support first responders and safer neighborhoods through better tools, training, and prevention. Expand resources for seniors, youth, and underserved communities. Outten’s platform is rooted in real data and shaped by direct community engagement. With Wicomico now the fastest-growing school system on Maryland’s Eastern Shore — and 85% of students relying on extra resources — she points to the county’s lagging investment as a key area for action. “Strong schools lead to strong jobs, thriving industries, and healthier communities,” Outten said. “Our schools and infrastructure are at a tipping point. We need leadership that stops reacting after things break — and starts investing before they do.” A Commitment to Home and Service Born and raised in Wicomico, Megan Outten sees this campaign as a continuation of her lifelong service to her community. Her vision reflects what she’s hearing from neighbors across the county: a demand for fairness, opportunity, and accountability in local government. “Wicomico is my home; it’s where I grew up, built my life, and where I want to raise my family,” Outten said. “Our county is full of potential. We just need leaders who will listen, work hard, and get things done. That’s what I’ve always done, and that’s exactly what I’ll continue to do on the County Council.” Outten will be meeting with residents across District 7 in the months ahead and unveiling more details of her platform. For more information or to get involved, contact info@meganoutten.com
Way back in 1935, the Supreme Court determined that independent agencies like the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) do not violate the Constitution’s separation of powers. Humphrey’s Executor v. United States (1935). Congress provided that the CPSC, like the NLRB and MSPB, would operate as an independent agency — a multi-member, bipartisan commission whose members serve staggered terms and could be removed only “for neglect of duty or malfeasance in office but for no other cause.” Rejecting a claim that the removal restriction interferes with the “executive power,” the Humphrey’s Court held that Congress has the authority to “forbid their [members’] removal except for cause” when creating such “quasi-legislative or quasi-judicial” bodies. As a result, these agencies have operated as independent agencies for many decades under many different presidencies. Shortly after assuming office in his second term, Donald Trump began to fire, without cause, the Democratic members of several of these agencies. The lower courts determined to reinstate the discharged members pending the ultimate outcome of the litigation, relying on Humphrey’s , resulting in yet another emergency appeal to the Supreme Court by the administration. In the first such case, a majority of the Court allowed President Trump to discharge the Democratic members of the NLRB and the MSPB while the litigation over the legality of the discharges continued. Trump v. Wilcox (May 22, 2025). The majority claimed that they do not now decide whether Humphrey’s should be overruled because “that question is better left for resolution after full briefing and argument.” However, hinting that these agency members have “considerable” executive power and suggesting that “the Government” faces greater “risk of harm” from an order allowing a removed officer to continue exercising the executive power than a wrongfully removed officer faces from being unable to perform her statutory duty,” the majority gave the President the green light to proceed. Justice Kagan, joined by Justices Sotomayor and Jackson, dissented, asserting that Humphrey’s remains good law until overturned and forecloses both the President’s firings and the Court’s decision to award emergency relief.” Our emergency docket, while fit for some things, should not be used to “overrule or revise existing law.” Moreover, the dissenters contend that the majority’s effort to explain their decision “hardly rises to the occasion.” Maybe by saying that the Commissioners exercise “considerable” executive power, the majority is suggesting that Humphrey’s is no longer good law but if that is what the majority means, then it has foretold a “massive change” in the law and done so on the emergency docket, “with little time, scant briefing, and no argument.” And, the “greater risk of harm” in fact is that Congress provided for these discharged members to serve their full terms, protected from a President’s desire to substitute his political allies. More recently, in the latest shadow docket ruling in the administration’s favor, the same majority of the Court again permitted President Trump to fire, without cause, the Democratic members of another independent agency, this time the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Trump v. Boyle (July 23, 2025). The same three justices dissented, once more objecting to the use of the Court’s emergency docket to destroy the independence of an independent agency as established by Congress. The CPSC, like the NLRB and MSPB, was designed to operate as “a classic independent agency.” In Congress’s view, that structure would better enable the CPSC to achieve its mission — ensuring the safety of consumer products, from toys to appliances — than would a single-party agency under the full control of a single President. “By allowing the President to remove Commissioners for no reason other than their party affiliation, the majority has negated Congress’s choice of agency bipartisanship and independence.” The dissenters also assert that the majority’s sole professed basis for the more recent order in Boyle was its prior order in Wilcox . But in their opinion, Wilcox itself was minimally explained. So, the dissenters claim, the majority rejects the design of Congress for a whole class of agencies by “layering nothing on nothing.” “Next time, though, the majority will have two (if still under-reasoned) orders to cite. Truly, this is ‘turtles all the way down.’” Rapanos v. United States (2006). * ***** *In Rapanos , in a footnote to his plurality opinion, former Supreme Court Justice Scalia explained that this allusion is to a classic story told in different forms and attributed to various authors. His favorite version: An Eastern guru affirms that the earth is supported on the back of a tiger. When asked what supports the tiger, he says it stands upon an elephant; and when asked what supports the elephant, he says it is a giant turtle. When asked, finally, what supports the giant turtle, he is briefly taken aback, but quickly replies "Ah, after that it is turtles all the way down." John Christie was for many years a senior partner in a large Washington, D.C. law firm. He specialized in anti-trust litigation and developed a keen interest in the U.S. Supreme Court about which he lectures and writes.
Marylanders will not forget this vote.
More than 30,000 of our neighbors in Maryland’s first congressional district will lose their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid because of provisions in the GOP’s heartless tax cut and spending bill passed last week.
Right now, Congress is working on a fast-track bill that would make historic cuts to basic needs programs in order to finance another round of tax breaks for the wealthy and big corporations.
The House Agriculture Committee recently voted, along party lines, to advance legislation that would cut as much as $300 million from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. SNAP is the nation’s most important anti-hunger program, helping more than 41 million people in the U.S. pay for food. With potential cuts this large, it helps to know who benefits from this program in Maryland, and who would lose this assistance. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities compiled data on SNAP beneficiaries by congressional district, cited below, and produced the Maryland state datasheet , shown below. In Maryland, in 2023-24, 1 in 9 people lived in a household with SNAP benefits. In Maryland’s First Congressional District, in 2023-24: Almost 34,000 households used SNAP benefits. Of those households, 43% had at least one senior (over age 60). 29% of SNAP recipients were people of color. 15% were Black, non-Hispanic, higher than 11.8% nationally. 6% were Hispanic (19.4% nationally). There were 24,700 total veterans (ages 18-64). Of those, 2,200 lived in households that used SNAP benefits (9%). The CBPP SNAP datasheet for Maryland is below. See data from all the states and download factsheets here.
