Today, Governor Josh Stein announced more than $31 million in Completing Access to Broadband (CAB) program projects, which will connect 10,810 households and businesses in 14 counties to high-speed internet. 

“No matter where you live in the state, you should have access to high-speed internet,” said Governor Josh Stein. “Broadband is critical to providing more economic opportunity to every corner of the state, and I am proud to create a stronger and more connected North Carolina for every person and small business owner.”

“Thanks to these projects, North Carolinians across the state will be getting high-speed internet access so they can work, access online learning opportunities, participate in telehealth, and build a stronger state economy,” said NCDIT Secretary and State Chief Information Officer Teena Piccione. “We will continue to announce CAB project awards every two weeks throughout April in order to help connect more homes and businesses.”  

These projects will be funded by more than $22.1 million from the federal American Rescue Plan, which is awarded by NCDIT, and by nearly $9.6 million from selected broadband providers:

• Avery: SkyBest Communications, Inc. This award will provide high-speed internet access to 805 homes or businesses (99.38% of the county’s 810 eligible locations).
• Beaufort: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed). This award will provide high-speed internet access to 414 homes or businesses (92.83% of the county’s 446 eligible locations).
• Buncombe: Frontier Communications of the Carolinas, LLC. This award will provide high-speed internet access to 132 homes or businesses (6.35% of the county’s 2,079 eligible locations).
• Cumberland: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed). This award will provide high-speed internet access to 496 homes or businesses (60.71% of the county’s 817 eligible locations).
• Dare: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed). This award will provide high-speed internet access to 20 homes or businesses (19.61% of the county’s 102 eligible locations).
• Hyde: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed). This award will provide high-speed internet access to 1,282 homes or businesses (95.25% of the county’s 1,346 eligible locations).
• Jones: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed). This award will provide high-speed internet access to 79 homes or businesses (49.38% of the county’s 160 eligible locations).
• Nash: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed). This award will provide high-speed internet access to 5,693 unserved and underserved homes or businesses (86.04% of the county’s 6,646 eligible locations).
• Pamlico: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed). This award will provide high-speed internet access to 100 homes or businesses (61.35% of the county’s 163 eligible locations).
• Pasquotank: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed). This award will provide high-speed internet access to 87 homes or businesses (84.47% of the county’s 103 eligible locations).
• Swain: Zito West Holding, LLC (Zito Media). This award will provide high-speed internet access to 509 homes or businesses (42.74% of the county’s 1,191 eligible locations).
• Transylvania: Citizens Telephone Company (Comporium Communications). This award will provide high-speed internet access to 473 homes or businesses (31.94% of the county’s 1,481 eligible locations).
• Wake: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed). This award will provide high-speed internet access to 144 homes or businesses (11.51% of the county’s 1,251 eligible locations).
• Yancey: French Broad Electric Membership Corporation. This award will provide high-speed internet access to 576 homes or businesses (80.67% of the county’s 714 eligible locations)

The CAB program’s procurement process creates a partnership between counties and NCDIT to identify areas that need access and solicits proposals from prequalified internet service providers. Awardees must agree to provide high-speed service that reliably meets or exceeds speeds of 100 Mbps download and 100 Mbps upload.

As part of Governor Josh Stein’s initiative to close the digital divide, these CAB program awards will be added in April to NCDIT’s dashboards, which show details and progress on programs funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act. The awards add to the existing $516 million in Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) grants, as well as previous CAB projects that will connect close to 190,000 North Carolina households and businesses to high-speed internet.

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