Charlotte, N.C., July 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brightspeed, the nation’s fourth largest fiber broadband builder focused on empowering more homes with ultrafast, reliable internet, announced that it has been awarded an additional $29.3 million to expand its state-of-the-art fiber broadband network to even more North Carolina residents and small businesses. Brightspeed is already investing to connect nearly 800,000 locations across the state of North Carolina as part of its strategic build. The N.C. Department of Information Technology’s (NCDIT) Division of Broadband and Digital Equity Completing Access to Broadband (CAB) program funds will now fund the expansion of Brightspeed’s fiber network build to nearly 11,000 more locations in Burke, Cumberland, Edgecombe, Franklin, Harnett, Martin, Northampton, Pamlico and Warren counties.
“We have been investing in our home state since Brightspeed launched, already giving more than 170,000 North Carolinians access to our blazing fast fiber network,” said Steve Brewer, Brightspeed director of government affairs and public policy. “With this additional investment from the state and counties, we are now able to bring even more homes and businesses the high-speed connectivity they need to thrive in today’s connected world.”
Last month, Brightspeed announced it was awarded $22.5 million by NCDIT and CAB program funds to build nearly 10,000 more locations in Beaufort, Chatham, Jones, Pamlico, Pasquotank and Pitt counties. Together, the CAB program funds and Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) grants awarded to Brightspeed provide approximately $177 million in funding so far to help connect approximately 81,000 North Carolina households and businesses across 41 counties to its blazing fast network. This brings Brightspeed’s total commitment in its home state to more than 880,000 fiber-enabled locations.
“The Completing Access to Broadband program drives collaboration between the state, individual counties and internet service providers to quickly get broadband projects underway for North Carolinians,” said NCDIT Secretary and State Chief Information Officer Jim Weaver. “Through these and previous CAB program awards, Brightspeed will be helping residents and businesses in 14 counties access high-speed internet so they can work, learn and connect with others online.”
The GREAT and CAB programs provide matching funds to internet service providers like Brightspeed that may partner with individual North Carolina counties for funding to expand high-speed internet service to unserved and underserved areas of the state.
Brightspeed is investing $2 billion in deploying next-generation fiber-optic technology to build a more reliable, super-fast broadband internet network that will reach more than three million homes and businesses across 20 states. In addition to the company’s multi-million-dollar investment in deploying its fiber broadband network in North Carolina communities, Brightspeed continues to pursue additional state and federal funding to augment its current fiber network build plan to help close the state’s digital divide.
About Brightspeed
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C. and with assets and associated operations in 20 states, Brightspeed provides broadband and telecommunications services through a network platform capable of serving more than 6.5 million homes and businesses. Our more than 4,000 employees are committed to building a future where more communities benefit from a more connected life, deploying a state-of-the-art fiber network and a customer experience that makes being connected as simple as it should be. For more information, please visit www.brightspeed.com.
