North Carolina Construction News staff writer
North Carolina’s completing access to broadband (CAB) program will award $22 million to 14 counties to expand high-speed internet services. The CAB program, administered by the N.C. Department of Information Technology (NCDIT), complements the state’s Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) grant program to reach additional unserved areas.
“These awards will help ensure that more North Carolinians can access affordable and reliable high-speed internet to participate in today’s digital world,” said Governor Roy Cooper. “We will continue to collaborate with county leaders and all grantees to close our state’s digital divide.”
Grants will go to:
- Alexander County: Spectrum Southeast LLC (Charter Communications)
- Franklin County: Spectrum Southeast LLC (Charter Communications)
- Granville County: Spectrum Southeast LLC (Charter Communications)
- Haywood County: Spectrum Southeast LLC (Charter Communications)
- Hertford County: Roanoke Connect Holdings (FYBE)
- Madison County: Skyrunner Inc.
- Mitchell County: French Broad Electric Membership Corp. (French Broad Fiber)
- Onslow County: Spectrum Southeast LLC (Charter Communications)
- Robeson County: Spectrum Southeast LLC (Charter Communications)
- Rutherford County: Bellsouth Telecommunications LLC (AT&T)
- Sampson County: Spectrum Southeast LLC (Charter Communications)
- Stokes County: Surry Telephone Membership Corp.
- Vance County: Zitel LLC
- Wilkes County: Wilkes Communications Inc.
Counties may choose to fund internet infrastructure projects not funded by the GREAT grant under the CAB program per N.C. Session Law 2021-180, or they may participate in the NCDIT-administered procurement process in which pre-qualified internet service providers reply to service expansion requests in areas mutually defined by the counties and the division.
Like GREAT grant awardees, all CAB program grantees must participate in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides eligible low-income households a $30 per month discount on high-speed internet service, or provide access to a comparable low-cost program.