Union County receives state grant to expand internet access

FILE – A home router and internet switch are displayed on June 19, 2018, in East Derry, N.H. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

UNION COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) Union County was selected to receive grant funding to expand internet access, according to a recent press release.

The NC Department of Information Technology’s (NCDIT) Division of Broadband and Digital Equity chose Union County through the Completing Access to Broadband (CAB) program.

Union County is among 15 local governments chosen as part of a statewide initiative to close the digital gap between those who have access to technology and digital literacy training and those who do not.

NCDIT predetermined the unserved or underserved areas within Union County and selected Windstream North Carolina LLC for the construction, installation and operation of the broadband infrastructure. The project is estimated to cost $1,396,254 with the county contributing $488,688.90. NCDIT is matching the county’s contribution and Windstream will contribute $418,876.20.

“The County realizes the importance of our residents having fast and reliable yet affordable internet service,” said Jon Amelio, Union County’s Information Technology Director. “We are committed to utilizing partnerships and available resources to find long-term solutions to challenges in expanding high-speed internet access in our community.”

The CAB program offers counties the opportunity to partner with NCDIT to identify areas that lack internet access, solicit proposals from prequalified internet service providers and award a company the project to provide high-speed service.

Across the state, the $67 million CAB program will connect 15,835 households and businesses in 15 counties to high-speed internet, according to NCDIT. These projects will be funded by nearly $35 million from the federal American Rescue Plan awarded by NCDIT, nearly $16 million from counties, and more than $16 million from selected broadband providers.