Raleigh, NC – The North Carolina Department of Information Technology (NCDIT) Division of Broadband and Digital Equity has announced that CarolinaLink member Star Communications was a recipient in the state’s latest round of Completing Access to Broadband (CAB) program awards. Utilizing the funding from this program, Star Communications will work to bring high-speed internet to additional rural addresses in Cumberland County.
"Winning the CAB grant is a significant milestone for STAR Communications and the communities we serve," said Donna Bullard, CEO of STAR Communications. "This investment highlights our commitment to bridging the digital divide and ensuring that everyone, regardless of their location, has access to reliable high-speed internet. We are excited to bring the benefits of fiber optics to the rural areas of North Carolina and to empower these communities with the tools they need for a brighter future."
In the announcement, NCDIT shared that $112 million in CAB program projects will connect 25,903 households and businesses in 19 North Carolina counties to high-speed internet. These projects will be funded by more than $61 million from the federal American Rescue Plan awarded by NCDIT, more than $25 million from counties and nearly $26 million from selected broadband providers.
“We are excited so many counties and internet service providers have partnered with us on the CAB program,” said NCDIT Deputy Secretary for Broadband and Digital Equity Nate Denny in a released statement. “These awarded projects will help us make significant progress on closing the state’s digital divide.”
As part of the CAB program’s procurement process, counties can partner with NCDIT to identify areas in need of high-speed internet access, solicit proposals from prequalified internet service providers and quickly make awards. In previous CAB announcements, CarolinaLink members RiverStreet Networks, Surry Communications, FOCUS Broadband and SkyLine/SkyBest Communications all received CAB funding to serve addresses in Avery,
Chowan, Perquimans, Stokes, and Wilkes counties. However, all seven of CarolinaLink’s members have been prequalified and are eligible to participate in the CAB program in 2024.
This latest round of $112 million in CAB program funding adds to the more than $404 million in GREAT grants and previous CAB funding awarded in 2022-2024 that are set to connect nearly 161,000 North Carolina households and businesses to high-speed internet.
For more information about CarolinaLink and their members, visit www.carolinalink.org.