Today Governor Josh Stein announced more than $41 million in Completing Access to Broadband (CAB) program projects to connect 11,816 households and businesses in 17 counties to high-speed internet.
“Connecting North Carolinians online helps strengthen our state,” said Governor Josh Stein. “Broadband plays a crucial role in our development, and I look forward to seeing how these funds expand economic opportunities for people in every corner of North Carolina.”
“Internet access is a necessity in today’s world, and these grants will fund projects to provide that crucial access to residents in communities across the state,” said NCDIT Secretary and State Chief Information Officer Teena Piccione. “We will continue to partner with counties and internet service providers to make more awards this month as we work to expand high-speed internet to every North Carolinian.”
These projects will be funded by more than $29 million from the federal American Rescue Plan awarded by NCDIT and nearly $12.5 million from the selected broadband providers:
- Anson County: Windstream North Carolina, LLC
This award will provide high-speed internet access to 945 homes and businesses (35% of the county’s 2,714 eligible locations). - Caldwell County: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed)
This award will provide high-speed internet access to 203 homes and businesses (12.91% of the county’s 1,572 eligible locations). - Carteret County: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed)
This award will provide high-speed internet access to 164 homes and businesses (46.2% of the county’s 355 eligible locations). - Caswell County: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed)
This award will provide high-speed internet access to 565 homes and businesses (65.16% of the county’s 867 eligible locations). - Davidson County: Windstream
This award will provide high-speed internet access to 436 homes and businesses (38.6% of the county’s 1,127 eligible locations). - Edgecombe County: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed)
This award will provide high-speed internet access to 1681 homes and businesses (85.55% of the county’s 1,965 eligible locations). - Greene County: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed)
This award will provide high-speed internet access to 637 homes and businesses (94.37% of the county’s 675 eligible locations). - Lincoln County: Spectrum Southeast, LLC
This award will provide high-speed internet access to 271 homes and businesses (10.35% of the county’s 2,619 eligible locations). - McDowell County: Skyrunner
This award will provide high-speed internet access to 704 homes and businesses (32.8% of the county’s 2,142 eligible locations). - Mitchell County: French Broad Electric Membership Corp
This award will provide high-speed internet access to 432 homes and businesses (51.86% of the county’s 833 eligible locations). - Onslow County: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed)
This award will provide high-speed internet access to 626 homes and businesses (60.71% of the county’s 1,031 eligible locations). - Pitt County: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed)
This award will provide high-speed internet access to 534 homes and businesses (92.55% of the county’s 577 eligible locations). - Sampson County: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed)
This award will provide high-speed internet access to 1605 homes and businesses (73.59% of the county’s 2,181 eligible locations). - Tyrrell County: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed)
This award will provide high-speed internet access to 237 homes and businesses (73.37% of the county’s 323 eligible locations). - Vance County: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed)
This award will provide high-speed internet access to 1327 homes and businesses (50.65% of the county’s 2,620 eligible locations). - Wilkes County: Wilkes Telephone Membership Corporation (RiverStreet Networks)
This award will provide high-speed internet access to 658 homes and businesses (94.13% of the county’s 699 eligible locations). - Wilson County: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed)
This award will provide high-speed internet access to 791 homes and businesses (64.26% of the county’s 1,231 eligible locations).
The CAB program’s procurement process creates a partnership between counties and NCDIT to identify areas that need access, solicit proposals from prequalified internet service providers and quickly make awards. Awardees must agree to provide high-speed service that reliably meets or exceeds speeds of 100 Mbps download and 100 Mbps upload.
This CAB program award will be added to NCDIT’s dashboards that show details and progress on programs funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act as part of Governor Stein’s initiative to close the state’s digital divide. The award adds to the more than $547 million in Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) grants and previous CAB projects that will connect more than 200,000 North Carolina households and businesses to high-speed internet.
For more information about the NCDIT Division of Broadband and Digital Opportunity, visit ncbroadband.gov.