Raleigh, NC – CarolinaLink members, FOCUS Broadband and Star Communications, received Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) grants last week as part of Governor Cooper’s announcement of an additional $80 million in funding being awarded to companies to build broadband to unserved and underserved homes across the state. FOCUS Broadband received a total of $7.2 million dollars to serve unserved areas of Chowan County and Perquimans County and Star Communications received a total of $4 million in grant funds to serve rural areas in Bladen County. Combined, these grants will allow these two companies to bring high-speed internet to more than 3,300 underserved homes and businesses.
“CarolinaLink members have done an exceptional job leveraging state broadband grants to expand access to rural broadband,” commented Dwight Allen, Executive Vice President of CarolinaLink. “We are thankful that the state provides this critical broadband grant funding through the GREAT grant program, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact that FOCUS Broadband and Star Communications will make in rural communities with these grants.”
To date, CarolinaLink members have collectively won more than $69 million through the state’s broadband grant program to expand rural broadband service.CarolinaLink members currently serve over 175,000 rural homes and businesses in North Carolina and are committed to expanding broadband service to unserved and underserved communities throughout the state.
In the announcement, Governor Cooper stated that this round of GREAT grants will bring high-speed internet to more than 25,800 homes across 33 counties. “We want all North Carolinians connected to high-speed internet so they can take full advantage of digital opportunities for work, learning, health and more,” Governor Cooper said. “These grants will fund projects in communities from all corners of our state so more families and businesses will have access to affordable, reliable broadband.”
For more information about CarolinaLink and their members, visit www.carolinalink.org.