CAMBRIDGE, Md. - It is no secret that many rural areas on Delmarva struggle with broadband internet access.
A new study puts the spotlight on average internet speeds inside of Maryland school districts.
Several Eastern Shore counties are on the list, with Somerset County Public Schools topping the list for slowest average internet speeds.
Queen Anne's, Wicomico, Dorchester and Worcester County Public Schools also crack the top ten list.
Dorchester County's average internet bandwidth per student is just 0.5 megabits per second, according to the analysis conducted by Connect K-12.
It is recommended that you have double that for a Zoom call, and four times that to watch an online video.
It's an issue that Beth Wilson with Dorchester County Public Schools says is being addressed.
Wilson headed up the district's internet connection game plan during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Our local internet service provider worked diligently with us to expand and we put up more wireless routers throughout the buildings and they brought in more broadband service to be able to service us," she said.
Governor Larry Hogan recently awarded 127 million dollars to expand rural broadband.
State Delegate Johnny Mautz, a Republican representing District 37B says that is proof things are improving, but it will take time to see the progress.
"It's just a matter of time right now. And as the fiber is being put in the ground, people can see the jobs being done and the fiber being put in. And people are wondering, why don't I have internet yet? And it's we're six to 12 months out," he said.
As the pandemic wanes, Wilson says connectivity is still crucially important. That's because all students now have an assigned device that is used daily.
"Things definitely are improving. It's helpful now that every student doesn't need to be on 100 percent of the time. So that allows our service to perform as we need it to," Wilson said.