NCDIT announces plan to expand high-speed internet to more than 2,000 underserved homes in Iredell

Posted on by Mike Fuhrman

Special to IFN

RALEIGH — The N.C. Department of Information Technology’s (NCDIT) Division of Broadband and Digital Equity has posted Completing Access to Broadband (CAB) program scopes of work to expand high-speed internet access to unserved and underserved homes and businesses at approximately 93,674 eligible locations in 53 counties.

In Iredell County, a total of 2,198 locations have been approved. Some 2,677 locations in Alexander County have been approved.

NCDIT previously awarded nearly $118 million to fund CAB projects in 44 counties, bringing high-speed internet to almost 47,000 homes and businesses. Additional scopes of work will be posted on a rolling basis.

Internet service providers that are prequalified to participate in state broadband expansion programs may submit proposals to provide broadband to all or a portion of eligible locations within each county.

This public-private partnership will help achieve Governor Roy Cooper’s goal to close the digital divide and ensure more North Carolinians can access affordable and reliable high-speed internet. Funds come from the Biden-Harris administration’s American Rescue Plan.

The CAB program creates a partnership among state government, county leaders and internet service providers to identify eligible project areas, develop the scope of work and fund broadband deployment projects with $400 million from the American Rescue Plan. With N.C. Session Law 2024-55 enacted Nov. 20, counties are no longer required to provide matching funds for CAB program projects.

Each county’s scope of work will be posted November 26 – February 17, 2025, at ncbroadband.gov/active-cab-proposals and will include the evaluation criteria by which an internet service provider will be chosen and the instructions for submitting proposals. A map of each county’s eligible locations is located on NC One Map’s CAB Planning Tool. Internet service providers may submit protests to identify locations they already serve Dec. 2 – Dec. 13 for all participating counties.

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For more information about the NCDIT Division of Broadband and Digital Equity, visit ncbroadband.gov.