MONROE, N.C. – North Carolina’s Department of Information Technology’s (NCDIT) Division of Broadband and Digital Equity selected Union County to receive grant funding through the Completing Access to Broadband (CAB) program to expand internet access. Union County is among 15 local governments chosen as part of a statewide initiative to help close the digital divide, which is the gap between those who have access to technology, the internet and digital literacy training and those who do not.
The CAB program offers counties the opportunity to partner with NCDIT to identify areas that lack internet access, solicit proposals from prequalified internet service providers, and award a company the project to provide high-speed service that reliably meets or exceeds speeds of 100 Mbps download and 100 Mbps upload.
NCDIT predetermined the unserved or underserved areas within Union County and selected Windstream North Carolina LLC for the construction, installation and operation of broadband infrastructure. The project will cost $1,396,254, with the County contributing $488,688.90, NCDIT providing a $488,688.90 match, and Windstream contributing $418,876.20.
“The County realizes the importance of our residents having fast and reliable yet affordable internet service,” said Jon Amelio, Union County’s Information Technology Director. “We are committed to utilizing partnerships and available resources to find long-term solutions to challenges in expanding high-speed internet access in our community.”
Altogether across the state, the $67 million CAB program will connect 15,835 households and businesses in 15 counties to high-speed internet, according to NCDIT. These projects will be funded by nearly $35 million from the federal American Rescue Plan awarded by NCDIT, nearly $16 million from counties, and more than $16 million from selected broadband providers.
NCDIT launched new dashboards at ncbroadband.gov/dashboards that display details and progress on programs funded by the federal American Rescue Plan. The dashboards are updated monthly and will show the CAB program awards for each county in July.
“Through these awards, more North Carolinians will be able to access affordable and reliable high-speed internet so they can participate in our increasingly digital world,” said Governor Roy Cooper. “I appreciate the partnership among NCDIT, county leaders and broadband providers in helping close our state’s digital divide.”
