North Carolina Construction News staff writer
At least 16,000 North Carolina homes and businesses will be connected to high speed internet with funding from the American Rescue Plan’s Capital Projects Fund.
President Joe Biden announced the $82 million new spending in Raleigh, alongside Governor Roy Cooper this week.
Overall, the Biden-Harris Administration is awarding more than $3 billion in North Carolina through the American Rescue Plan and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and $1 billion in American Rescue Plan Act funding to connect more than 300,000 homes and businesses by 2026.
In addition, Gov. Roy Cooper has joined the Biden-Harris Administration in urging Congress to continue funding the Affordable Connectivity Program that helps millions of U.S. households, including nearly 900,000 in North Carolina, afford reliable high-speed internet. Without Congressional action, 22.6 million U.S. households will see a significant spike in their internet bill and potentially lose service entirely when current funding is projected to end in mid-2024.
“We are grateful for the Biden-Harris Administration’s unwavering commitment to closing the digital divide here in North Carolina and across the nation,” Cooper said in a statement. “Accessing the internet is a necessity in today’s world, and President Biden has continued to be an invaluable partner in our efforts to not only connect North Carolinians to reliable, high-speed internet, but also ensure that they can afford it.”