North Carolina has committed $44 million in new state grants to expand high-speed internet access, awarding funds to major providers including Brightspeed, Spectrum, and several regional ISPs. These grants, administered under the Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) program, target underserved areas lacking reliable broadband infrastructure.

The funding pursues three core goals: expanding broadband availability, promoting digital equity across communities, and supporting innovation through enhanced connectivity. By investing in long-term digital infrastructure, these initiatives aim to bridge the digital divide that continues to limit economic opportunity and access to vital services in many parts of the state.

From remote learning and virtual healthcare to e-commerce and remote work, high-speed internet functions as a foundational utility in today's economy. This latest round of funding will equip thousands more households and businesses with the connectivity needed to fully engage in 21st-century life.

Buildout North Carolina and Its Commitment to Connectivity

State-Led Action Backed by Strategic Investment

Buildout North Carolina operates as a focused initiative under the North Carolina Department of Information Technology (NCDIT), designed to accelerate broadband infrastructure throughout underserved regions. Created in response to glaring coverage gaps across both rural and urban areas, the program aligns state funding, local partnerships, and data-driven planning to expand fast internet access where market forces alone have fallen short.

Rather than a static funding body, Buildout North Carolina functions as a dynamic delivery mechanism—coordinating with county governments, broadband providers, and regional planning groups to deploy high-speed connectivity at scale. Its work stems from the North Carolina General Assembly’s broader commitment to closing the digital divide and future-proofing the state’s technological landscape.

Progress Built on Early Successes

The state's structured broadband push started gaining traction in 2018 with the launch of the Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) Grant Program. Between 2019 and 2023, this flagship program invested over $380 million toward broadband projects reaching more than 150,000 households and small businesses, according to NCDIT data.

Milestone initiatives included the fiber rollout across areas of Halifax, Robeson, and Chowan counties, where connection speeds surged from sub-10 Mbps to gigabit-level service. In these communities, residents shifted from buffering Zoom calls to participating in fully remote education and telehealth with minimal latency.

Collaboration Anchored by Trusted Institutions

Oversight from the Department of Information Technology ensures every grant issued through Buildout North Carolina adheres to strict performance standards. The department also collaborates extensively with local development councils to identify pressing infrastructure needs, leveraging regional insight to guide deployment strategy.

Through this layered governance model, the initiative blends top-down policy direction with bottom-up implementation knowledge. That structure doesn’t just produce results—it ensures the broadband expansion lives up to the needs of each local community it aims to serve.

Expanding the Digital Backbone: Scope and Strategy Behind the $44M Broadband Push

Replacing Legacy Networks with High-Capacity Fiber Infrastructure

Decades-old copper-based DSL networks no longer meet modern data demands. The current grants fuel a transition to fiber-optic systems, capable of delivering gigabit-level speeds with far lower latency. Fiber infrastructure withstands higher traffic volumes, experiences less signal degradation over distance, and supports future innovations like 5G backhaul and smart grid technology.

Brightspeed and Spectrum, among other grant recipients, are deploying fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) networks that provide symmetrical upload and download speeds, a significant leap over traditional coaxial or DSL standards. These networks also incorporate scalable architectures, allowing ISPs to incrementally increase capacity without infrastructure overhauls.

Mapping the Rollout: Funded Projects Across North Carolina’s Rural Landscape

The $44 million in grants channel resources into North Carolina’s least connected regions. Target areas include counties in the Appalachian west, the Sandhills in south-central zones, and pockets along the northeastern coastal plain. Projects span both last-mile connections to residences and businesses, and middle-mile expansion to tie local nodes into high-speed backbones.

• Jackson and Macon Counties: Brightspeed's project will extend over 400 miles of fiber, serving mountainous terrain where DSL lines fail during inclement weather.
• Bladen and Columbus Counties: Spectrum is investing in hybrid fiber-coax to deliver service to over 3,000 underserved homes and small businesses.
• Halifax and Bertie Counties: Smaller network operators are using grant funds to establish new Points of Presence (PoPs), reducing reliance on outdated microwave backhaul systems.

Fund allocation prioritizes census blocks with verified absence of 25 Mbps download / 3 Mbps upload capability — the federal minimum for broadband qualification — ensuring that public investments reach truly neglected populations.

The Fiber Advantage: Boosting Capacity, Stability, and Future-Proofing

Fiber-optic networks offer nearly unlimited bandwidth potential. While cable and DSL networks decelerate during peak hours due to shared lines and signal interference, fiber sustains consistent performance regardless of demand spikes. This translates into improved video conferencing quality, faster cloud access for remote workers, and smoother telehealth sessions.

Reliability also scales. Fiber lines, lacking electrical interference, are less prone to outages from lightning or temperature swings. Maintenance costs drop significantly after the initial buildout, making fiber not only the fastest but also the most cost-effective long-term solution.

Deploying fiber across rural North Carolina under this initiative doesn't just bring residents online — it lays the groundwork for bandwidth-intensive technologies of tomorrow, from precision agriculture to AI-assisted manufacturing.

Broadband Expansion in Rural North Carolina: Closing the Digital Divide

Challenges Persist: Slow Speeds and Sparse Service in Underserved Areas

Nearly 1.1 million North Carolinians still lack access to high-speed internet, and the vast majority of them live in rural counties. According to the North Carolina Department of Information Technology (NCDIT), as of 2023, 93% of urban residents had access to broadband with download speeds of at least 100 Mbps, compared to less than 65% in many rural zones. Connectivity gaps show up starkly in counties like Halifax, Graham, and Hyde, where coverage remains inconsistent and infrastructure aging or non-existent.

In some areas, download speeds hover below 25 Mbps—the bare minimum threshold once used to define ‘broadband’—making video conferencing, virtual learning, and telemedicine unreliable or impossible. Long distances between homes, low population density, and limited return on investment for private internet service providers have contributed to decades of digital neglect.

Fiber Buildouts Target Hard-to-Reach Households, Farms, and Schools

The $44 million granted through The Buildout North Carolina initiative aims to reverse this pattern of exclusion. The funding enables providers like Brightspeed and Spectrum to extend fiber-optic cables directly to rural homes and anchor institutions. Fiber offers symmetrical upload and download speeds, low latency, and high scalability—essential for expanding future digital services without overhauling infrastructure again.

Brightspeed’s projects will cover multiple counties west of the Piedmont, deploying new backbone lines to reach agricultural communities along secondary roads and isolated hollows. Spectrum, which won several awards under this round of funding, is building out gigabit-capable networks near rural schools in counties like Randolph, Madison, and Sampson. These efforts target areas the FCC and state broadband maps identify as unserved or underserved, with priority given to census blocks where no provider offers minimum broadband thresholds.

Every Home Connected Brings Tangible Quality-of-Life Gains

A stable, high-speed connection unlocks practical benefits. In the education sector, students in counties like Bertie and Yancey will no longer need to drive to public libraries or fast-food parking lots to download assignments. With expanded broadband, rural school districts will rely more heavily on digital instruction platforms like Edmentum and Canvas, helping close achievement gaps between urban and rural students.

In healthcare, fiber builds support telemedicine partnerships with providers like ECU Health and Novant Health. Patients managing chronic illnesses will use app-based remote monitoring tools or schedule virtual consultations with specialists otherwise based hours away.

On the employment front, reliable internet opens pathways to remote and hybrid work. In counties reeling from mill closures or agricultural job losses, digital access can connect residents to county-level reskilling programs and statewide platforms such as NCWorks Online. Entrepreneurs, too, benefit. With dependable bandwidth, rural North Carolinians can run e-commerce ventures, join digital supply chains, and access cloud-based tools with the same efficacy as those in Raleigh or Charlotte.

• In 2022, rural counties with high-speed internet access saw a 12% higher rate of job growth in technology-related sectors than unconnected peers (NCDIT report).
• Telehealth utilization tripled in broadband-connected rural clinics from 2020 to 2023.
• Public school students in newly connected areas submitted assignments on digital platforms at a 40% higher rate.

The digital divide in North Carolina has never been purely about cables and towers. It ripples into educational equity, health outcomes, small-business resilience, and community growth. Each mile of fiber installed under this initiative shifts that balance, village by village and county by county.

Broadband Expansion Fuels Economic Development Across North Carolina

Infrastructure Investment Directly Drives Local Economies

The $44 million awarded through the Buildout North Carolina initiative has direct implications for economic development. Broadband infrastructure isn't just about faster internet—it’s a foundational asset for regional competitiveness. Communities that gain high-speed connectivity can attract new business investments, reduce barriers to entry for entrepreneurs, and support homegrown innovation. Studies by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond confirm this linkage: counties with expanded broadband coverage between 2010 and 2019 saw statistically significant gains in employment and median income levels.

Digital Access Sparks Entrepreneurial Growth

Connectivity enables more than consumption—it powers creation. Entrepreneurs in previously underserved communities now have the infrastructure to participate fully in the digital economy. Whether launching e-commerce storefronts, offering remote consulting services, or developing online educational platforms, access to reliable high-speed internet removes geographic restrictions.

• Remote work: With more than 30% of U.S. workers engaging in remote or hybrid arrangements as of 2023 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics), smaller towns can now retain talent that would otherwise migrate to urban centers.
• Startup ecosystems: Coworking spaces, tech meetups, and acceleration programs that rely on stable broadband find viability in towns once considered disconnected.
• Local entrepreneurs: From digital marketing consultants to app developers, the ability to serve clients globally from rural North Carolina shifts conventional economic trajectories.

Scaling Small Manufacturers and Services with Digital Tools

Digital adoption isn't confined to tech startups. Small manufacturers in counties like Henderson and Person are now integrating IoT tools for remote equipment monitoring and inventory management. Service businesses—from HVAC companies to legal advisers—are leveraging online scheduling platforms, digital CRMs, and remote consultation software.

One notable case: a family-owned textile business in Surry County implemented cloud-based order processing and expanded its customer base beyond state borders. The broadband investment eliminated logistical bottlenecks and enabled digital marketing campaigns that doubled their sales within 18 months. Those outcomes aren’t anomalies—they’re ripple effects of connectivity.

Strength in Synergy: How Public-Private Partnerships Drive Broadband Growth

Brightspeed and Spectrum: Strategic Pillars in North Carolina’s Connectivity Push

Brightspeed and Spectrum stand at the forefront of North Carolina’s broadband initiative, acting as key execution partners in the $44 million disbursal under the Buildout North Carolina program. These firms aren't merely service providers — they operate as long-term collaborators with the state, tasked with translating funding into physical infrastructure and last-mile internet delivery.

Brightspeed, which acquired portions of Lumen Technologies' network footprint in 2022, is prioritizing fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) deployment across tiered build zones. Spectrum, a subsidiary of Charter Communications, expands its long-established presence in the Carolinas with targeted fiber expansion into underserved census tracts. Both companies bring critical scalability and existing operational capacity to rapidly mobilize resources where needs are greatest.

Collaboration Yields Data, Dollars, and Deployment Power

Pooling assets between government and telecom giants produces measurable results. These partnerships unite complementary capabilities:

• Technical expertise: Engineering scale, network planning, and supply chain access rest largely with ISPs.
• Public funding: State grants activate private capital that might otherwise stall in high-cost, low-demand regions.
• Local knowledge: County-level mapping and demographic data from public agencies fine-tune provider build maps.

For example, in Alexander and Caldwell counties—where Brightspeed leads deployments—multi-million-dollar grants catalyze the installation of over 300 miles of new fiber. Spectrum’s approach in Moore and Randolph counties leverages its extensive regional backhaul capabilities to streamline interconnect points between old and new network segments.

Implementation That Reflects Geography and Demographics

Neither Brightspeed nor Spectrum rely on a one-size-fits-all model. Instead, implementation aligns closely with local topography and population density. In hilly or wooded rural areas, aerial fiber supported by utility poles dominates, cutting trenching costs and speeding up timelines. In flatter, suburban territories, underground conduit lays the groundwork for long-term resilience.

Real-time data tracking and performance analysis also factor into the strategy. Both companies employ GIS-based dashboards to identify latency zones, bandwidth uptake patterns, and future upgrade points. Public reporting, required by grant stipulations, gives transparency to the buildout pace while allowing state agencies to monitor and redirect efforts if needed.

This tiered, context-aware framework ensures public funding achieves its intended reach—connecting North Carolinians not just quickly, but sustainably.

Government Grants and Funding Breakdown: Who Gets What, Where, and When

Dissecting the $44 Million Allocation

The Buildout North Carolina initiative has distributed $44 million in broadband expansion grants to multiple internet service providers (ISPs), each selected based on project viability, county-level demand, and implementation capability. Of that total:

• Brightspeed receives approximately $22 million, representing half of the total allotment. Their scope of work focuses heavily on underserved areas in central and northeastern North Carolina.
• Spectrum is awarded around $16 million, covering service expansion in western mountain counties as well as select rural pockets in the Piedmont region.
• Smaller regional ISPs, including Wilkes Communications and CloudWyze, collectively share the remaining $6 million, specifically to deploy fiber in low-density, high-need zones such as Pitt, Halifax, and Greene counties.

County-Level Deployment: Who’s Getting Connected

The funding targets 28 counties across North Carolina. Among them, high-priority areas include:

• Robeson and Wayne Counties — Over 4,500 households across zip codes 28358 and 27534 slated for fiber connectivity within the first 12 months.
• Ashe, Graham, and Swain Counties — Mountain communities underserved for decades now included in Spectrum’s expansion roadmap.
• Edgecombe and Nash Counties — Brightspeed’s rollout will cover zip codes 27886 and 27856, introducing symmetrical gigabit speed broadband where none previously existed.

Timelines and Deliverables Embedded in the Agreements

Each funding recipient operates on a defined 24-month execution timeline. Within the first six months, providers must complete 20% of installation milestones and begin customer onboarding. By month 18, all physical infrastructure — including trenching, pole attachments, and fiber optic placement — must be completed. By the 24-month mark, full service must be available to every household and business within the project zone.

Failure to meet these milestones triggers phased grant clawbacks, with penalties starting at 10% of the outstanding allocation per month of noncompliance once the timeline expires.

Federal Support and the Buildout Platform: A Coordinated Strategy

Several components of the funding strategy integrate with programs under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. The Buildout platform, developed in partnership with the North Carolina Department of Information Technology, serves not only as a grant management system but also as a public accountability interface. Citizens can track build progress by zip code, while officials monitor deliverables and expenditure reports in real time.

Driving Innovation: How Connectivity Fuels Rural Technology Adoption

Emerging Technologies Riding on Fiber Infrastructure

The recent allocation of $44 million through the Buildout North Carolina initiative positions rural communities to capitalize on next-generation digital tools. With fiber-optic internet as the technological backbone, traditionally underserved areas can now deploy advancements that were once out of reach.

Fiber enables symmetric upload and download speeds, low latency, and high availability — conditions that unlock the practical use of:

• Internet of Things (IoT): Smart sensors now monitor soil moisture, control irrigation systems, and track livestock performance in real time, all of which depend on always-on, high-speed connectivity.
• Cloud Computing Platforms: Businesses and schools are migrating workloads to the cloud, gaining access to scalable tools for data management, remote learning, and workforce collaboration.
• 5G Network Readiness: Although 5G requires a dense network of small cells, fiber-fed rural towns are laying the groundwork for local 5G deployment, extending mobile broadband across miles of terrain.

Innovation in Agriculture, Education, and Healthcare

In agriculture, farmers across counties such as Nash and Caswell are deploying precision farming platforms. These systems integrate GPS-driven inputs and variable rate application tools, enabling farmers to maximize yield while reducing resource use. Reliable internet makes this technology viable even in fields far from urban data centers.

In healthcare, fiber connections are transforming rural clinics into telehealth-enabled facilities. Patients in remote communities now consult with specialists via HD video, access electronic medical records, and undergo remote monitoring for chronic conditions, all without traveling for hours to the nearest city.

For education, schools in counties like Rutherford and Rockingham are using high-speed networks to support digital curriculum platforms, host virtual field trips, and deliver individualized instruction using AI-driven learning modules. Students with broadband at home engage in interactive homework, access vast online libraries, and participate in dual-enrollment college courses without leaving their hometowns.

Building Digital Fluency in Small Towns

Connectivity alone doesn’t yield innovation — people do. Local governments, in partnership with non-profits and community colleges, are designing initiatives to raise digital literacy. Coding bootcamps, IT certificate programs, and maker spaces are emerging in rural libraries and career centers, training the workforce in skills demanded by a data-driven economy.

Small towns once digitally isolated now produce GIS analysts, remote workers, e-commerce entrepreneurs, and cybersecurity specialists — thanks to consistent bandwidth and targeted education. The result: not only technological capacity, but also a growing sense of digital self-reliance.

New Contours in Competition: How $44M in Buildout North Carolina Grants Reshapes the Communications Industry

The infusion of $44 million into broadband expansion efforts through Buildout North Carolina doesn’t just bridge service gaps—it redraws the competitive landscape for internet service providers. Brightspeed and Spectrum, two of the largest recipients, now hold commanding positions to cement market advantage in both underserved and emerging regions of the state.

Brightspeed and Spectrum Reclaim Territory and Drive Market Share

Brightspeed, a newer but rapidly expanding player formed from Lumen Technologies’ local exchange business divestiture, is targeting rural markets aggressively as part of its long-term fiber deployment strategy. This grant positions Brightspeed to accelerate its multi-year plan to upgrade copper legacy networks in North Carolina to fiber-optic service—enhancing speeds, reliability, and future scalability.

Charter Communications’ Spectrum, already a dominant provider in many North Carolina municipalities, leverages the funding to deepen footprint in exurban and rural communities long overlooked due to cost inefficiencies. This grant-backed expansion allows Spectrum to consolidate its base and fend off smaller regional challengers without absorbing the total capital risk.

Comparative Dynamics: How Regional Wins Contrast Against National Trends

Contrast North Carolina’s strategy with that of states like New Jersey, where Verizon exerts overwhelming dominance through Fios, and public funding support for new entrants remains sparse. While companies like Verizon prioritize urban fiber densification, North Carolina’s public-private alignment empowers second-tier giants to leapfrog infrastructure lags and introduce regional parity.

• In New Jersey, Verizon reports fiber passing more than 85% of households in select counties, but rural DSL still plagues adjacent regions with speeds below 25 Mbps.
• In North Carolina, Brightspeed and Spectrum—benefitting from last-mile deployment grants—are entering similar markets with promised symmetrical speeds exceeding 100 Mbps.

A Broader Shift in Investment Philosophy

This funding signals a recalibration in broadband investment priorities: from fiber density in high-margin markets to universal service as a strategic asset. Traditional megaproviders like AT&T and Comcast spend over $20 billion annually in capital expenditures, yet their focus remains centered in urban markets. The Buildout North Carolina initiative directs capital where ROI is lower but social and economic impact is exponentially higher.

By channeling grants toward mid-tier ISPs with rural buildout agility, the state disrupts the conventional understanding of where growth will occur—and who will capture it. Expect other states to watch closely as North Carolina deliberately rewrites the incentives behind broadband capital deployment.

Local Voices and Industry Leaders Weigh in on Broadband Grants

State Officials See Strategic Momentum

North Carolina Department of Information Technology Secretary Jim Weaver highlighted the grant initiative as a measurable leap forward in statewide infrastructure improvement. “Targeted funding like this doesn’t just expand networks—it architecturally rewires the economic potential of rural counties,” said Weaver. His office has prioritized metrics-driven accountability, ensuring deployments meet technical benchmarks and community expectations alike.

Representative Jason Saine, a longtime advocate for broadband initiatives in the General Assembly, echoed the sentiment. “This is part of a longer-term blueprint to digitize all 100 counties. The technology investments made through Buildout NC send a clear message: North Carolina intends to lead the South in modern infrastructure.”

Telecom Providers Signal Aggressive Rollouts

Executives at Brightspeed emphasized the company’s capacity to scale rapidly. CEO Tom Maguire stated, “With this round of funding, we’ll accelerate fiber installation in underserved swaths of eastern and central North Carolina where reliable internet never materialized. These aren’t just expansions—they’re first connections.”

Similarly, Spectrum’s regional VP of operations Melissa Mullinax pointed to granular planning. “We identified census blocks with gaps in both residential and small business service, particularly in counties like Wilkes and Nash. This funding enables a fast-track deployment model backed by preexisting engineering surveys.”

Small Businesses and Local Residents React

In Davidson County, where broadband availability has directly influenced small business formation, the local Chamber of Commerce expressed strong support. Executive Director Ellen Ratcliffe noted, “Our entrepreneurs often depend on reliable upload speeds for web-based logistics, marketing automation, and CRM tools. These grants bite into that service gap in a way the private market so far hasn’t.”

In a focus group conducted by Cleveland County’s economic development office, residents identified specific use cases missing from their daily lives. One participant shared, “Online education has been our biggest challenge. Our kids sometimes do homework in the parking lot of McDonald’s just to get signal. This grant changes how we parent, work, and learn.”

Policy Analysts Project Long-Term Economic Payoff

Analysts at the North Carolina Institute for Emerging Issues project that each dollar invested in broadband returns $3.80 in economic output, based on modeled correlations in similarly situated Midwest states. Executive Director Anita Brown-Graham emphasized that the multiplier effect compounds annually. “Connectivity improves digital literacy, attracts location-independent entrepreneurs, and reduces public service delivery costs. This is fiscal efficiency paired with sustained equity.”

Meanwhile, rural policy expert Dr. Mark Little at UNC’s Kenan Institute emphasized how the grant’s structure sets up replicable success. “What makes these awards different is the built-in performance measurement. These are not speculative investments—they are performance-contingent and outcomes-based.”

What happens when a farmer in Northampton County gains IoT access for his irrigation systems? When a remote telehealth start-up hires its first regional technician? Those are the long-term gains stakeholders are counting on—and tracking.

Driving North Carolina Forward with Smart Connectivity Investments

The $44 million awarded by the Buildout North Carolina initiative to Brightspeed, Spectrum, and other providers signals a deliberate shift in the state’s priorities—priorities that place modern connectivity on par with traditional infrastructure like roads and bridges. These investments do more than bring fiber optic cable to underserved areas. They shape North Carolina’s future economy, community development, and digital competitiveness.

When fiber internet reaches a rural township in the Piedmont or the farmlands of the Coastal Plain, it doesn’t just unlock faster downloads—it redefines what’s possible. Remote work becomes feasible. Small agricultural businesses access national markets. Students complete assignments without driving to town for Wi-Fi. Telehealth appointments replace long journeys for basic care. Concrete changes ripple out from every new mile of broadband line.

In past decades, railroads and highways built the state’s logistical backbone. Today, broadband forms the digital infrastructure that supports an agile, resilient, and innovation-ready economy. Public-private partnerships, including those cultivated with Spectrum and Brightspeed, allow North Carolina to sidestep bureaucratic lag and scale deployment efficiently—in both dollars and timeframes.

This funding round reflects a deeper trend within the communications industry: the pivot toward inclusive infrastructure models. Competitive carriers and legacy providers alike now see rural connectivity as both a strategic investment and a growth lever. By delivering government-backed grants into the hands of implementers with proven track records, the state accelerates progress toward universal high-speed access faster than isolated municipal efforts could manage alone.

The implications extend further than broadband miles laid. Schools will teach in classrooms no longer limited by bandwidth. Rural hospitality businesses will serve guests who expect seamless Wi-Fi. Local government services—from emergency response systems to permitting platforms—will operate with greater cohesion and reliability. The entire platform of communication in the state becomes more robust, more inclusive, and more future-proof.

Curious about how this transformation rolls out in your county? Want to understand how funding decisions are made? Visit the Buildout NC grant dashboard to explore active projects, financial allocations, and implementation progress.

To participate, stay informed, and advocate for expanded broadband access in your area, connect with agencies like the North Carolina Department of Information Technology or explore the latest developments from project leaders such as Spectrum and Brightspeed. Every fiber laid seals another gap in the digital divide—and every supporter turns possibility into infrastructure.