Cooper’s Strong Proposal for Broadband Expansion in your area

RALEIGH

May 5, 2017

Governor Cooper’s Common Ground Solutions budget included $20 million to improve internet access and service to households and businesses in underserved areas of North Carolina. Of that $20 million, $14.5 million would create a grant program to help local governments partnering with private providers and utility cooperatives complete ‘last mile’ broadband projects.

Newly released information from the Broadband Infrastructure Office identified at least 16 last-mile and middle-mile broadband projects across the state that could compete for this funding. If approved, these projects could provide needed internet access to thousands of North Carolinians and spur economic development.

“Broadband access is a must for economic success in our rural communities,” said Governor Cooper. “We have already seen how access to high-speed internet has allowed business in rural areas to thrive. We cannot deprive rural North Carolinians of this vital tool for competition in a global marketplace.”

Below are last mile broadband projects that could be submitted for completion with the broadband funding in Governor Cooper’s budget.

County	Broadband project description
Chatham County	Strowd Mountain fixed wireless project for unserved community
Watauga County	Deep Gap/Powder Horn Mountain, wired access for approximately 200 homes without service
Stanly County	MCNC middle-mile extension to Albemarle and Pfeiffer University
Avery County	Fixed wireless residential service for unserved homes in the southern and western areas of the county
Graham County	Fixed wireless project to serve 3,000 unserved and underserved households
Jackson County	Fixed wireless project to connect 5 communities and approximately 2,000 unserved or underserved households
Swain County	County wide wireless project to enhance residential and small business connectivity
Lee County Schools	Home connectivity pilot expansion to provide home access to unserved students
Lenoir County	Coverage for unserved residents in Pink Hill
Nash County	County-wide wireline connectivity for unserved or underserved residents
Chowan County	Enhance wireless coverage for unserved residents
Jackson County	Fiber to the home deployment for more than 3,500 households and businesses
Alexander County	County-wide Fiber to the home deployment for households and businesses
Polk/Rutherford County	County-wide deployment to unserved and underserved households and businesses
Madison County	Fiber to the home deployment to unserved and underserved households and businesses
Haywood County	Fiber to the home deployment to unserved and underserved households and businesses
*Source: Broadband Infrastructure Office records on last-mile projects in need of funding

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