Raleigh, NC - CarolinaLink, North Carolina’s Broadband Cooperative Coalition, announced that in 2024, its members collectively contributed over $650,000 towards non-profit and educational programs aimed at strengthening local communities, supporting students and improving the lives of the customers they serve. In addition to these programs, the coalition members and its employees engaged in a variety of community focused events and continued to advocate for rural broadband expansion and its multitude of benefits.
CarolinaLink is made up of North Carolina’s seven broadband membership cooperatives—FOCUS Broadband, Randolph Communications, RiverStreet Networks, SkyLine/SkyBest, Star Communications, Surry Communications, and Zirrus. Together, they serve over 74 of North Carolina’s 100 counties, delivering high-speed internet to more than 200,000 homes and businesses, many in the state’s most rural areas.
In addition to financial contributions, member cooperatives organized drives to collect essential items for those in need. In 2024 alone, they donated over 16,000 non-perishable food items to local food banks, as well as hosted book and toy drives. Many members further supported their communities by sponsoring free Wi-Fi at local events, making direct donations, and participating in programs that benefit local youth.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, the CarolinaLink members worked together to help those impacted by this unprecedented storm in western North Carolina. All the members sent either equipment or employees to help in repairing SkyLine/SkyBest’s damaged infrastructure due to Hurricane Helene, while also collecting supplies and essential items to donate to western North Carolina residents in need.
Annually, CarolinaLink members engage in a wide range of initiatives aimed at making a meaningful impact. Their efforts include scholarships and corporate giving campaigns that support local organizations and educators, as well as partnerships with local groups and students to help secure funding through the NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association’s Foundation for Rural Service (FRS) Community Grants and Scholarship programs.
CarolinaLink also continues its long-term commitment to advancing rural telehealth. Now in the fifth year of a ten-year pledge to UNC Children’s Hospital, the coalition donates $50,000 annually to expand telehealth services across the state. These funds help provide critical equipment that connects healthcare providers with children in rural communities, reducing the need for families to travel to Chapel Hill for specialized care.
Beyond these giving initiatives, coalition members remain actively engaged in both local and state organizations and sponsor numerous statewide events that emphasize the importance of broadband in rural communities. These organizations include local commerce chambers, the NC Chamber, the NC Rural Center, the Cooperative Council of the Carolinas and organizations supporting regional development. By participating in and sponsoring these groups, the cooperatives advocate for the economic and social benefits of high-speed internet in rural areas while collaborating with industry and political leaders to advance rural broadband expansion and digital inclusion programs.
To date, the CarolinaLink members have secured more than $160 million in federal and state broadband funding to expand their networks into underserved areas across the state. For many of these communities, access to high-speed internet unlocks new opportunities in work, education and healthcare. In addition to the grant funding, each cooperative contributes their own matching funds to ensure project completion. Over the past year, FOCUS Broadband, SkyLine/SkyBest and Star Communications all received funding through the North Carolina Department of Information Technology’s (NCDIT) Completing Access to Broadband (CAB) program to further extend broadband service in rural communities.
Additionally, the seven broadband cooperatives established AccessOn Networks in 1994 to provide critical middle-mile infrastructure to rural areas across North Carolina. This network serves as a critical link between rural and metropolitan areas, enabling cooperatives and major carriers to connect wireless towers, banks, schools, and healthcare facilities in small towns. It has also played a key role in linking rural medical practices to larger hospital systems, attracting businesses to rural industrial parks, expanding wireless coverage in remote areas, and supporting retail chains as they grow to serve rural markets.