The N.C. Department of Information Technology’s (NCDIT) Division of Broadband and Digital Equity today announced the notice of funding availability and guidance for the Stop-Gap Solutions program, which will provide $86 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to facilitate additional high-speed internet infrastructure deployments across North Carolina.
The Stop-Gap Solutions program funds are available for the following two uses:
- Funding for counties to use as matching funds for new Completing Access to Broadband (CAB) program projects; and
- Broadband line-extension projects by internet service providers.
“The goal of this program is two-fold – to help NCDIT leverage the remaining $283 million CAB program funds to continue helping counties connect their residents to crucial high-speed internet and to launch broadband line-extension projects to provide access to individuals, small pockets of households or businesses, community anchor institutions and state facilities,” said Nate Denny, NCDIT Deputy Secretary for Broadband and Digital Equity. “Collaboration between the state, local governments and internet service providers is central to this program and to our work in closing the digital divide.”
The CAB program’s procurement process creates an opportunity for counties to partner with NCDIT to identify areas that are unserved and underserved, solicit proposals from broadband providers and fund broadband infrastructure projects. Participating counties must provide matching project funds using ARPA funds or nonrestricted general funds. Through the Stop-Gap Solutions program, counties may apply to request funding assistance for meeting their CAB program match requirement.
Local governments and nonprofits may also participate in the Stop-Gap Solutions program by identifying unserved and underserved locations that may be addressed in projects. Only internet service providers that were prequalified to participate via the 2023 Broadband Expansion and Access Request for Proposals will be allowed to participate in the Stop-Gap Solutions program for either funding option.
The division will hold a webinar on Aug. 26 at 10 a.m. for counties interested in applying for Stop-Gap Solutions program funds to assist with the CAB program county match requirement. Registration is required and is available at ncbroadband.gov/stop-gap. A separate webinar for internet service providers will be held in September.
For more information about the NCDIT Division of Broadband and Digital Equity, the Stop-Gap Solutions and CAB programs, and Governor Cooper’s plan to close the digital divide in North Carolina, please visit ncbroadband.gov.