EXECUTIVE ORDER 01.01.2025.06
Statewide Digital Infrastructure Group
I. Establishment.
A. There is a Digital Infrastructure Group (“DIG”) in the Department of Information Technology (“DoIT” or the “Department”) whose purpose is to coordinate the efficient deployment of wired and wireless communications and digital information technology infrastructure among the various State, County and local partners.
B. The Chair of the DIG shall be designated by the Secretary of DoIT (“Secretary”) and shall serve at the pleasure of the Secretary.
II. Responsibilities.
A. The DIG shall:
1. Develop, promote, and facilitate a Statewide vision for wired and wireless communications and digital information technology infrastructure;
2. Promote collaboration among State, County and local agencies for the management and deployment of wired and wireless communications and digital information technology infrastructure;
3. Communicate current and future wired and wireless communications and broadband infrastructure plans to relevant stakeholders;
4. Develop recommendations for long-range plans for wired and wireless communications and broadband infrastructure consistent with State goals, objectives, and DoIT’s Statewide Information Technology Master Plan;
5. Develop recommendations for policy, regulations, or legislation to facilitate strengthening Maryland’s wired and wireless communications, broadband, and information technology infrastructure;
6. Advise on the planning, funding, and development of Statewide wired and wireless communications, broadband, and information technology infrastructure projects proposed by units of State government;
7. Identify opportunities for productive partnerships and the use of new technologies, including public-private partnerships, that enable the sharing of resources and further the goal of expanding and strengthening Maryland’s wired and wireless communications, broadband, and information technology infrastructure; and
8. Ensure best management practices are employed for the use of State resources, assets, licenses, and funding and that these uses are consistent with State goals and objectives as well as DoIT’s Statewide Information Technology Master Plan.
III. Composition.
A. The DIG shall be composed of senior State officials from DoIT, designated by the Secretary, and senior staff members from the following agencies or units of State Government, designated by the respective agency or unit head:
1. The Maryland State Police (MSP);
2. The Maryland Department of Transportation and its Transportation Business Units (MDOT & TBU’s);
3. The Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS);
4. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR);
5. The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security;
6. The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD);
7. The Maryland Public Broadcasting Commission (MPT);
8. The Department of General Services (DGS);
9. The Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM);
10. The Department of Budget and Management (DBM);
11. The Office of the Statewide Interoperability Coordinator (SWIC); and
12. The Statewide Interoperability Executive Committee (SIEC).
B. The Secretary may appoint additional members from units of State and local governmental entities as necessary.
C. The Secretary may establish one or more working groups and or subcommittees as necessary in support of the DIG.
IV. Contributions, Goals, and Objectives.
A. In consultation with the DIG, DoIT shall create a “Single View” of State-owned wired and wireless communications, broadband, and information technology infrastructure inventory inclusive of all inground, aerial and vertical assets. The “Single View” will include, at a minimum, each Executive Branch agency's qualifying assets and all approved Resource Sharing Agreement installations. The “Single View” shall be used for long-range planning, joint build projects, promoting Resource Share Agreement (RSA) opportunities and in support of broadband and digital infrastructure expansion.
B. DIG members shall share wired and wireless communications, broadband, and information technology infrastructure data with the Department to be included in the “Single View” that shall facilitate the consideration of how and where future wired and wireless infrastructure is deployed in the State.
C. In consultation with DIG, DoIT shall aggregate the various information technology policy-related advice generated by the various Executive Branch agencies, Statewide Interoperability Executive Committee, Statewide Interoperability Coordinator, and State Radio Control Board in order to provide recommendations and advice to the Secretary.
D. DIG members shall seek opportunities to strategically plan and design a shared infrastructure model that effectively manages public real property information technology corridors and efficiently uses monetary resources to generate cost savings.
E. Ensure DIG priorities are considered when evaluating RSA opportunities.
F. Improve broadband access and digital equity across the State.
G. Address last-mile connectivity, particularly in rural areas.
H. Provide strategies to achieve the availability of increased connectivity speeds to every Community Anchor Institution (CAI).
I. Collaborate on how best to employ available funding, to include State and Federal Grants, to achieve the maximum coverage in the most effective manner.
V. Frequency.
A. The Secretary shall determine how often DIG shall meet and may coordinate additional meetings dependent on workload.
B. The Secretary shall determine how often each working group or subcommittee established under this Executive Order shall meet.
VI. Each Executive Branch agency and unit of State government is hereby required, to the extent not inconsistent with law, to cooperate fully with DIG and to furnish such assistance, including data, reports, or other information as necessary to accomplish the purpose of this Executive Order.
VII. Nothing contained in this Executive Order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect the authority granted by law to an Executive Branch agency or unit of State government.
VIII. This Executive Order shall be implemented in a manner that is consistent with all applicable statutes and regulations. Nothing in this Executive Order shall operate to contravene any State or federal law or to affect the State’s receipt of federal funding.
IX. If any provision of this Executive Order or its application to any person, entity, or circumstance is held invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, all other provisions or applications of the Executive Order shall remain in effect to the extent possible without the invalid provision or application. To achieve this purpose, the provisions of this Executive Order are severable.
Effective Date: January 7, 2025.
