For over a decade, the citizens of St. Mary’s County have been subject to subpar Internet service.

As a bustling and thriving connection to the Patuxent River Naval Air Station, the importance of a strong, consistent, reliable Internet provider can’t be overstressed.

Unfortunately, the citizens of St. Mary’s County have been oppressed under the monopolistic policies of the St. Mary’s County Government, who had no issue allowing the former Internet provider Metrocast be, for lack of better wording, ‘the only gig in town.’

Citizens suffered with high prices and poor service because they had no (or very few, and limited to small pockets of St. Mary’s) options for competing Internet providers to bring choice to the area.

Then, Metrocast was bought by Atlantic Broadband, who promised better service and better prices.

Instead, the citizens of St. Mary’s have had just as bad (or worse) service, and prices have continually increased while service and service offerings have gone down the tubes.

Why?

Because there is no motivation for Atlantic Broadband to do better.

Their agreement with St. Mary’s County allows them to be the only Internet provider for the area, and no other providers are allowed to compete against them to bring better service and better pricing.

Competitive pricing and services are KEY to a thriving community, and when a company like Atlantic Broadband doesn’t have anyone to answer to, citizens of the county miss out tremendously. The speed and reliability of Atlantic Broadband are unacceptably terrible and in a COVID-19 world?

Reliable, consistent Internet provision that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg because there are no other choices is a must.

We urge the citizens of St. Mary’s county to contact their County Commissioners and let them know that we are TIRED of poor service, high rates and indifference on the part of Atlantic Broadband when we bring them our issues.

We urge the citizens of St. Mary’s county to demand their County Commissioners stand up for us, and insist we have competitive pricing and choices when it comes to what is now a daily necessary service.

We urge the citizens of St. Mary’s county to contact Atlantic Broadband and insist they start offering the services they demand we pay for, instead of subpar service they dole out to us like crumbs because we have nowhere else to go.

We’re not sure what the payoff for such a monopolistic agreement as the one St. Mary’s apparently has with Atlantic Broadband is, but we know that we, the citizens of St. Mary’s county (and surrounding areas, we’re sure) are suffering for the secret deals and handshakes happening behind closed doors.

We’re tired of poor service and high prices, and we demand the County Commissioners of St. Mary’s County take a look at how to best meet their constituents’ needs, and not the desires of their ‘good old boy’ deals.

Commissioner President James R. Guy 301-475-4200 ext. 71361 randy.guy@stmarysmd.com Commissioner Eric Colvin 301-475-4200 ext. 71354 eric.colvin@stmarysmd.com Commissioner Michael L. Hewitt 301-475-4200 ext. 71355 mike.hewitt@stmarysmd.com Commissioner John E. O'Connor 301-475-4200 ext. 71353 john.oconnor@stmarysmd.com Commissioner Todd B. Morgan 301-475-4200 ext. 71357 todd.morgan@stmarysmd.com E-mail all Commissioners - Group E-Mail csmc@stmarysmd.com