Real Estate Development and Highway Rights-of-Way - Installation of Broadband Micro Conduits and Microducts

HB 626 requires new or majorly improved multi-tenant commercial and residential properties (like apartment complexes or office buildings) to install micro conduits - small tubes for fiber optic cables - in utility easements and building telecom rooms during construction. It also mandates that buried fiber optic cables in Maryland highways, installed after October 1, 2025, include conduit with at least seven microducts. The bill requires state and local transportation agencies to provide broadband providers neutral, non-discriminatory access to these conduits and allows reasonable fees for that access. This law directly affects developers of multi-tenant properties, transportation departments, and broadband service providers.