Governor Josh Stein Announces 30 More Counties to Receive High-Speed Internet

NORTH CAROLINA, April 29 - Governor Josh Stein announced today more than $63 million in Completing Access to Broadband (CAB) program projects to connect 18,889 households and businesses in 30 counties to high-speed internet.  

“North Carolinians’ need access to high-speed internet to connect them with friends and family, business opportunities, telehealth, and more,” said Governor Josh Stein. “Broadband is key 21st Century infrastructure, and these partnerships between counties across the state and internet providers will help connect more North Carolinians.”

"Access to high-speed internet is not just about connectivity; it's about empowering individuals and communities to thrive in the digital age," said NCDIT Secretary and State Chief Information Officer Teena Piccione. "We will continue collaborating with counties and internet service providers to fund projects to expand high-speed internet access to all North Carolinians."

These projects will be awarded by NCDIT and are funded by more than $44 million from the federal American Rescue Plan and nearly $19 million from selected broadband providers:  

• Alamance: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed) and Spectrum Southeast, LLC These awards will provide high-speed internet access to 469 homes and businesses (20.51% of the county’s 2,287 eligible locations).
• Alexander: Yadkin Valley Telephone Membership Corporation (Zirrus) This award will provide high-speed internet access to 394 homes and businesses (14.78% of the county’s 2,665 eligible locations).
• Bertie: Roanoke Connect Holdings, LLC (Fybe) This award will provide high-speed internet access to 1,380 homes and businesses (91.39% of the county’s 1,510 eligible locations).
• Brunswick: Atlantic Telephone Membership Cooperative (FOCUS Broadband) This award will provide high-speed internet access to 192 homes and businesses (57.31% of the county’s 335 eligible locations).
• Burke: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed) This award will provide high-speed internet access to 82 homes and businesses (3.32% of the county’s 2,473 eligible locations).
• Camden: Wilkes Telephone Membership Corporation (RiverStreet Networks) This award will provide high-speed internet access to 921 homes and businesses (82.97% of the county’s 1,110 eligible locations).
• Catawba: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed) This award will provide high-speed internet access to 648 homes and businesses (28.38% of the county’s 2,283 eligible locations).
• Chowan: Atlantic Telephone Membership Cooperative (FOCUS Broadband) This award will provide high-speed internet access to 132 homes and businesses (91.67% of the county’s 144 eligible locations).
• Columbus: Atlantic Telephone Membership Cooperative (FOCUS Broadband) This award will provide high-speed internet access to 108 homes and businesses (14.86% of the county’s 727 eligible locations).
• Currituck: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed) This award will provide high-speed internet access to 1,354 homes and businesses (83.94% of the county’s 1,613 eligible locations).
• Durham: Frontier Communications of the Carolinas, LLC This award will provide high-speed internet access to 123 homes and businesses (22.49% of the county’s 547 eligible locations).
• Franklin: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed) This award will provide high-speed internet access to 1,415 homes and businesses (53.80% of the county’s 2,630 eligible locations).
• Granville: Roanoke Connect Holdings, LLC (Fybe) This award will provide high-speed internet access to 2,164 homes and businesses (90.96% of the county’s 2,379 eligible locations).
• Harnett: Spectrum Southeast, LLC  This award will provide high-speed internet access to 300 homes and businesses (7.87% of the county’s 3,810 eligible locations).
• Jackson: ERC Broadband, LLC This award will provide high-speed internet access to 570 homes and businesses (12.63% of the county’s 4,512 eligible locations).
• Johnston: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed) This award will provide high-speed internet access to 1,439 homes and businesses (24.10% of the county’s 5,970 eligible locations).
• Martin: Roanoke Connect Holdings, LLC (Fybe) This award will provide high-speed internet access to 215 homes and businesses (35.66% of the county’s 603 eligible locations).
• Montgomery: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed)This award will provide high-speed internet access to 1,661 homes and businesses (73.40% of the county’s 2,263 eligible locations).
• Northampton: Roanoke Connect Holdings, LLC (Fybe) This award will provide high-speed internet access to 288 homes and businesses (73.47% of the county’s 392 eligible locations).
• Perquimans: Atlantic Telephone Membership Cooperative (FOCUS Broadband) This award will provide high-speed internet access to 121 homes and businesses (77.07% of the county’s 157 eligible locations).
• Person: Spectrum Southeast, LLC  This award will provide high-speed internet access to 240 homes and businesses (9.34% of the county’s 2,189 eligible locations).
• Rockingham: Spectrum Southeast, LLC  This award will provide high-speed internet access to 198 homes and businesses (13.24% of the county’s 1,495 eligible locations).
• Rowan: Windstream North Carolina, LLC This award will provide high-speed internet access to 507 homes and businesses (17.51% of the county’s 2,896 eligible locations).
• Scotland: Spectrum Southeast, LLC  This award will provide high-speed internet access to 135 homes and businesses (20.06% of the county’s 673 eligible locations).
• Union: Windstream North Carolina, LLC and Spectrum Southeast, LLC  These awards will provide high-speed internet access to 1,189 homes and businesses (28.94% of the county’s 4,108 eligible locations).
• Watauga: SkyBest Communications, LLC This award will provide high-speed internet access to 178 homes and businesses (67.94% of the county’s 262 eligible locations).
• Washington: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed) This award will provide high-speed internet access to 1,043 homes and businesses (96.48% of the county’s 1,081 eligible locations).
• Warren: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed) This award will provide high-speed internet access to 793 homes and businesses (66.86% of the county’s 1,186 eligible locations).
• Wayne: Spectrum Southeast, LLC  This award will provide high-speed internet access to 420 homes and businesses (13.96% of the county’s 3,008 eligible locations).
• Yadkin: Yadkin Valley Telephone Membership Corporation (Zirrus) This award will provide high-speed internet access to 210 homes and businesses (88.61% of the county’s 237 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.

Governor Stein is committed to closing the digital divide. Today’s awards add to the $533 million in Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) grants and previous CAB projects that will connect more than 211,000 North Carolina households and businesses to high-speed internet. See progress here.  

For more information about the NCDIT Division of Broadband and Digital Opportunity, visit ncbroadband.gov.