RALEIGH, N.C. (WLOS) — Nearly $26 million in awards will help connect rural North Carolinians to high-speed internet, Gov. Josh Stein and the North Carolina Department of Information Technology (NCDIT) announced Monday, March 23.
It’s part of the Stop-Gap Solutions program, and with the funding, more than 5,000 rural homes, businesses, and community hubs will now have the infrastructure by the end of the year.
GOV. STEIN ALLOCATES $300M TO EXPAND HIGH-SPEED INTERNET IN NORTH CAROLINA BY 2026
“These broadband projects will ensure more families can soon access telehealth, students can complete their homework, businesses can compete in larger markets, and communities can thrive,” Stein said in a written statement. “I am committed to improving broadband access across the state and making sure no community is left behind.”
The program uses funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. It’s designed to accelerate the expansion of high-speed internet infrastructure in eligible unserved and underserved areas.
According to the Governor’s news release, the program complements other statewide deployment efforts and ensures that smaller clusters in those areas are not overlooked.
NORTH CAROLINA INVESTS $48M TO EXPAND HIGH-SPEED INTERNET ACCESS IN 22 COUNTIES
Here is how those funds break down across western North Carolina (WNC).
- Cherokee Cablevision, Inc. ($533,581): 75 locations in Jackson and Swain counties
- Citizens Telephone Company/Comporium Communications ($4,017,302): 344 locations in Transylvania County
- ERC Broadband, LLC ($1,261,581.35): 118 locations in Buncombe and Henderson counties
- Frontier Communications of the Carolinas, LLC ($3,524,952): 147 locations in Buncombe, Durham, and Macon counties
- Skyrunner, Inc. ($788,500): 78 locations in Jackson County
There are also more funds headed to other providers across the state. Those include:
- Atlantic Telephone Membership Cooperative/FOCUS Broadband ($1,653,500): 145 locations in Duplin and Pender counties
- Connect Holding II, LLC/Brightspeed ($1,677,000): 2439 locations across eastern portion of the state
- HarvestBeam Inc. ($413,259.60): 95 locations in Craven and Pitt counties
- LREMC Technologies, LLC/RIVR Tech ($3,812,780.71): 43 locations in Hoke, Robeson and Scotland counties
- North State Communications Advanced Services, LLC/Lumos ($3,965,221): 402 locations in Orange County
- Roanoke Connect Holdings, LLC/Fybe ($2,406,500): 826 locations in Bertie, Chowan, Gates, Granville, Halifax, Hertford, Martin, and Northampton counties
- Star Telephone Membership Corp/Star Communications ($443,155): 78 locations in Bladen and Sampson counties
- Wilkes Telephone Membership Corporation/RiverStreet Networks ($959,828.18): 306 locations in Camden, Currituck, Stokes and Wilkes counties
- Yadkin Valley Telephone Membership Corporation/Zirrus ($520,940): 65 locations in Alexander, Forsyth, Iredell, Rowan, Yadkin counites
The NCDIT said it has already contracted for more than $670 million in broadband projects scheduled for completion this year, which will connect more than 252,000 homes and businesses to high-speed internet.
“High-speed internet access is the foundation for healthcare delivery, public safety operations, workforce development, and economic growth in our state,” NCDIT Secretary and State Chief Information Officer Teena Piccione said of the announcement. “This program allows us to move with urgency and precision to connect more North Carolinians.”
