Broadband Pole Replacement Program

The Broadband Pole Replacement Program is established to quickly facilitate the deployment of broadband service to households, businesses, agricultural operations and community anchor institutions in areas unserved with broadband. As broadband providers deploy infrastructure in remote areas, utility poles are critical resources. Fiber and other communications assets can be attached to utility poles within particular spaces on the pole. When utility poles lack space for additional attachments, a pole replacement is required to accommodate the additional infrastructure attachments. This program creates a special fund to reimburse broadband providers (communications service providers) for eligible pole replacement costs in connection with qualified projects. 

N.C. Session Law 2021-180 appropriates $100 million of federal American Rescue Plan Act funds for the program. Program requirements for the pole replacement program are currently under development.

Now Accepting Applications

We are now accepting applications and requests for reimbursement for the Broadband Pole Replacement program on a rolling basis.

Broadband Pole Replacement Guidance Document 

• Please review the Broadband Pole Replacement Guidance Document prior to submitting an application.  

Broadband Pole Replacement Program Eligible Areas Map

Applicants must utilize the online Pole Replacement Program Eligible Areas Mapping Tool and Help Document located within the NC OneMap’s broadband resources to view data on eligible project areas for submission of pole locations. The help document located within the map includes detailed information on how to use the map. 

• View the Pole Replacement Program Eligible Areas Mapping Tool
• View the Mapping Tool Help Document

Application Instructions & Materials

Please review the following application instructions, necessary forms and templates below before submitting an application.  

• Application and Reimbursement Instructions

One-Time Application Materials (applied to all future reimbursement requests):

• Application Form 
• Documentation of Affordability Program
• Byrd Anti-Lobbying Form 
• Substitute W-9
• Vendor Electronic Payment Form

Project Area and Reimbursement Form (submitted with each request):

• BPRP_PoleReimbursementTemplate_YYMMDD

Webinars

View the Feb. 22 webinar recording below and the slides here. 

Prequalified Vendors

The following prequalified vendors are eligible to apply for the Broadband Pole Replacement program: 

• AccessOn Networks, Inc.
• Atlantic Telephone Membership Cooperative (FOCUS Broadband)
• BellSouth Telecommunications, LLC (AT&T North Carolina)
• BalsamWest FiberNET, LLC
• Blue Ridge Mountain Electric Membership Corporation (BRMEMC)
• Carolina West Wireless, Inc.
• Cebridge Acquisition, L.P. (NC CSC, LLC)
• Cherokee Cablevision, Inc.
• Citizens Telephone Company (Comporium Communications)
• CloudWyze, Inc.
• CND Acquisition Corporation (The Cable Company)
• Comcast Cable Communications, LLC (Comcast)
• Comporium, Inc. (Comporium Communications)
• Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed)
• Conterra Ultra Broadband, LLC (Conterra Networks)
• ERC Broadband, LLC
• Foothills Broadband, LLC
• French Broad Electric Membership Corporation
• Frontier Communications of the Carolinas, LLC
• HarvestBeam, Inc.
• LREMC Technologies, LLC
• MCNC
• NfinityLink Communications, Inc. (InfinityLink Communications)
• Northland Cable Television, Inc. (Vyve Broadband)
• North State Communications Advanced Services, LLC (Lumos)
• Open Broadband, LLC
• Open Fiber USA, LLC
• Randolph Telephone Membership Corporation (Randolph Communications)
• Wilkes Telephone Membership Corporation (RiverStreet Networks (RSN))
• Roanoke Connect Holdings, LLC (Fybe)
• SkyBest Communications, Inc.
• Skyrunner, Inc.
• Spectrum Southeast, LLC
• Star Telephone Membership Corp (Star Communications)
• StarVision Inc. (Star Communications)
• Surry Telephone Membership Corporation (Surry Communications)
• Ting Fiber, LLC (Ting Internet)
• Windstream North Carolina, LLC
• Yadkin Valley Telephone Membership Corporation (Zirrus)
• ZiTEL
• Zito West Holding, LLC (Zito Media)

Prequalification took place in 2023 through the Broadband Expansion and Access Request for Proposals (link) and was awarded through the Statewide Convenience Contract XXXX (link). We are not prequalifying additional vendors.

Questions?

Please send any questions or comments about the Broadband Pole Replacement program to polereplacement@nc.gov. Send questions about the Pole Replacement Eligible Areas Mapping Tool or requests for NCBIO Data Exchange credentials to broadbandmapping@nc.gov.