Choptank Fiber Celebrates Rural Connection Milestone

By Katie Luckett, Director of Marketing, Communications & Education

March 1, 2025 – Choptank Fiber connected 5,000 customers this February with reliable and affordable high-speed internet on the Eastern Shore. With over 1,250 miles of distribution fiber laid, service is now available to12,000 locations. Since its first connection in 2021, Choptank Fiber has remained ahead of schedule in every aspect of its fiber construction and buildout process.

“We are of course proud of these accomplishments, but more importantly we are celebrating that Choptank Fiber has stuck to its mission of serving our unserved rural electric cooperative members and reinvesting profits back into infrastructure development,” shared Mike Malandro, President of Choptank Fiber and CEO of Choptank Electric Cooperative.

Using the cooperative principles that are at the core of its business, Choptank Electric Cooperative created Choptank Fiber to deliver reliable and affordable internet service to families and businesses throughout its service territory where current providers wouldn’t build. “This is a prime example of putting members first by utilizing our existing infrastructure and working with local government and community members to deliver this much-needed service,” added Malandro.  

The broadband subsidiary was formed after a vote by Choptank Electric Cooperative members to become Member Regulated passed in 2020. After years of expressing to the Cooperative a need for reliable and affordable internet, rural residents are finally able to join the digital landscape at home and in their businesses.

Taylor Hall had Choptank Fiber installed at his house outside of Preston this January after struggling to find reliable internet for 17 years. “As primarily a teleworker, I've been astonished at the difference Choptank Fiber speeds make in my daily work,” shared Hall.

“I'm able to get into remote tools which require a good connection that I wasn’t always able to reach with previous Wi-Fi providers. Online meetings are better, and my wife can access the internet and stream movies without having to schedule around my job.”

Theo Hobbs and his family have been Choptank Fiber customers for nearly a year now. “I can work from my home office without being concerned about the wireless signal or loss of bandwidth,” said Hobbs. As Senior Pastors of Lighthouse Church of God in Berlin, he and his wife, Linda, took advantage of the business packages as well. “Our service at the church handles all our security camera bandwidth needs easily. Customer service has been very accessible and quick to respond.”

Tim McGaha, VP of Operations for Choptank Fiber, remarks on the world-class service being constructed with the future in mind. “Our fiber infrastructure and speeds will support our customers’ needs as technology continues to advance many years down the road. We are building the network of tomorrow, today.”

Cecil County’s Broadband and GIS Manager, David Black, has worked closely with Choptank Fiber for the past few years to connect over 500 unserved locations to high-speed internet. "Choptank Fiber is extremely responsive to meeting the needs of Cecil County's unserved residents and businesses,” expressed Black. “These locations were originally unserved for a reason; they are extremely isolated, challenging to reach and require significantly more effort to connect. Choptank Fiber’s staff have the technical acumen necessary to solve the most challenging broadband builds. Our collaboration is a true partnership, and Choptank Fiber's dedication to serving its customers is top notch."

Residential service offerings started four years ago with broadband packages and have since expanded to include the complimentary CommandIQ mobile app for whole-home managed Wi-Fi and Choptank Fiber Voice (in-home VoIP phone lines) and Choptank Fiber Mobile (cellular service), which can be bundled with any internet package. Commercial broadband packages are now available with added services including cloud-based business phone lines, SmartBiz (a business managed Wi-Fi service) and the CommandWorx mobile app.

As Choptank Fiber looks to the future, it will continue to serve as the hub for technology on the Eastern Shore by providing rural businesses and consumers with the services and education they need. “Our commitment remains stronger than ever; to keep you connected to what matters most, now and for generations to come,” concluded Malandro.