Broadband Recovery Program Reimbursement Guidance

Broadband Recovery Program

REIMBURSEMENT GUIDANCE AND DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS

Funding to Rebuild, Repair or Replace Broadband Infrastructure Damaged by Hurricane Helene

Funded by the American Rescue Plan Act

Published April 28, 2026

Overview and Eligible Applicants

On Nov. 3, 2025, the Broadband Infrastructure Office (office) within the N.C. Department of Information Technology’s (NCDIT) Division of Broadband and Digital Opportunity released the Broadband Recovery Program Guidance Document for funding to rebuild, repair, or replace broadband infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Helene.

This Program Guidance document outlined the program requirements and application processes to submit a Completed Broadband Recovery Program Application Form and Estimated Costs Template to NCDIT by Nov. 24, 2025. Applications had to be received by that date to be considered for this program.

NCDIT received applications from 16 broadband providers. Those applications and estimated costs were reviewed, and applicants may now move forward with submitting reimbursement requests. This Reimbursement Requests and Documentation Requirements guidance must be utilized in conjunction with the original Program Guidance from Nov. 3, 2025, for determining submission requirements for reimbursement.

Based on the application submissions, the following 16 broadband providers are eligible to submit reimbursement requests under this program:

Barnardsville Telephone Company (RiverStreet Networks)
BellSouth Telecommunications, LLC (AT&T North Carolina)
Citizens Telephone Company (Comporium Communications)
Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed)
CSC NC, LLC (Optimum)
ERC Broadband, LLC
Foothills Broadband, LLC
Frontier Communications of the Carolinas, LLC
Northland Cable Television, Inc. (Vyve Broadband)
Saluda Mountain Telephone Company (RiverStreet Networks)
Skyrunner, Inc.
SkyBest Communications, Inc.
Skyline Telephone Membership Corporation
Spectrum Southeast, LLC
Wilkes Telephone Membership Corporation (RiverStreet Networks)
Zito West Holding, LLC (Zito Media)

As part of this next phase of the application, eligible applicants must provide the following additional information to NCDIT:

NCDIT reserves the right to request additional company information to ensure organizations are legally established and have the financial capacity to manage a reimbursed based project and maintain operations.

In addition, as stated in the Program Guidance, eligible applicants must also agree to all Terms and Conditions required with the funding in alignment with federal American Rescue Plan Act rules, state legislation and other state conditions.

Eligible Counties, Work Categories and Eligible Expenditures

Funding for rebuilding, repairing or replacing broadband infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Helene may only be requested for infrastructure located in the 39 counties and within federal lands of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians, as outlined in the Program Guidance.

Reimbursement requests should fall within one of the work categories outlined in the Program Guidance. The categories represent the potentially eligible activities contemplated under this program. The appropriate work category that best fits a specific type of project activity should be selected in the Broadband Recovery Reimbursement Request Form. Funding of reimbursement requests may be prioritized by these work types.

Priority Work Categories:

Temporary Restoration of Last-Mile Service
Permanent Restoration of Last-Mile Service
Repair, Rebuild and Replacement of Middle Mile Infrastructure
Insurance Deductible
Development of FEMA Application

Other Potentially Eligible Work Categories:

Administrative/Operational Costs during the Emergency
Emergency Temporary Services for High-Speed Internet/Voice
Restoration of Service for High-Speed Internet Technologies
Hardening, Redundancy and Resiliency of Infrastructure

Eligible expenditures must fall within the parameters outlined in the Program Guidance. Eligible expenses should not precede the date of Hurricane Helene (Sept. 26, 2024)

with the exception of materials or equipment that an applicant may have had on hand and subsequently utilized for recovery as a result of the storm.

Total reimbursements requests should not exceed the estimated costs submitted with the initial application. In limited cases NCDIT may consider funding for additional costs if available funding remains after reimbursement requests from all eligible applicants have been submitted, reviewed, and processed.

Although total reimbursements requests should not exceed the total estimated costs submitted with the initial applications, costs within individual work categories or individual counties may vary from the Estimated Costs Template submitted with the original application form. The office anticipates some differences from initial estimates as applicants complete their final detailed reimbursement requests and compile required documentation.

Expenses by County

Because this program has specific eligible counties, and for the state to better understand damages and restoration efforts in specific geographic areas, individual reimbursement requests should contain expenses for no more than one eligible county. Multiple reimbursement requests should be submitted to capture all counties for which reimbursement is being sought. In some limited cases the office may consider exceptions if an applicant’s accounting practices for specific expenses create challenges for cost allocation across counties. Applicants should coordinate with the office with questions on this submission requirement.

Reimbursement Request Form and Invoice Tracker

Reimbursement requests must be submitted on the Broadband Recovery Program Reimbursement Request Form and Invoice Tracker. This Excel worksheet contains the following four tabs:

Current Request - The Current Request tab is the primary tab and captures the accounting of expenses reported under this reimbursement request.
Previously Approved Request(s) - The Previously Approved Request(s) tab would be used in limited cases if an applicant ultimately submits more than one reimbursement request for an individual county.
Narrative - The Narrative tab should provide an explanation of the damage incurred, repair work, and expenses claimed in the current reimbursement request submission.
Attestations - Signature by an authorized official is required on the Attestations tab for each reimbursement request submitted.

This form is structured after the invoice tracker sheet utilized for the GREAT, CAB and Stop-Gap programs to provide consistency in reporting expenses for applicants that participate in these programs. This reimbursement form must be accompanied by appropriate documentation as described in the instructions below.

Instructions for Completing the Reimbursement and Invoice Tracking Worksheet

The purpose of the below instructions is to organize the supporting documentation needed to request reimbursement from this program for eligible activities detailed in the Program Guidance. Supporting documentation must include the date, description, cost, and purpose of the expense. The types of documentation can include but are not limited to:

Invoices and receipts
Expense reports and materials ledger
Copies of signed contracts or agreements with vendors or contractors
Proof of Delivery documentation
For In-House Labor: Evidence such as approved timesheets or approved payroll records must be submitted to demonstrate hours worked and the associated salary or wages. For additional details on calculating and documenting in-house labor costs, applicants should utilize the same requirements as those outlined in the GREAT Grant guidance on direct labor.

All supporting documentation must include copies of one of the following proofs of payment:

Copies of cleared checks used to pay an invoice. If a check is used to pay for multiple invoices from the same vendor, the grantee must identify which invoices were paid with the cleared check.
Bank Statements that correspond with the payment
ACH transaction statements that detail which invoices were paid. If multiple invoices are paid to one vendor submit a copy of all the invoices to total the ACH transaction amount.
Credit card receipts, corresponding statement, and proof of payment of that credit card statement
Vendor account statement on supplier’s letterhead showing that the invoice has been paid by the grantee

NCDIT will not accept cash transactions for paid invoices or receipts for cash transactions as proof of payment.

Reimbursement and Invoice Tracking Workbook

The Invoice Tracking Excel Workbook is intended to summarize all submitted supporting documentation and copies of payment for each eligible activity. It is also intended to cumulatively track all submitted supporting documentation from previously approved reimbursement requests, if more than one reimbursement request per county is submitted under this program.

The grantee can create additional worksheets (tabs) and additional rows in the worksheets, as needed. Please organize the supporting documentation and proof of payment in the order in which the documentation is saved in the file and by each funding category. For example, please group all Easement invoices together with the proof of payment documentation.

The Grantee may only submit PDF documents as supporting documentation.

Current Request Worksheet – Grantee Information Items 1 - 5

Name of Eligible Applicant: Name of the eligible broadband provider submitting this reimbursement claim. Note: name should match legal entity for which payment will be made.
County: Name of county in which this work has been completed.
Total Amount Requested: Total payment amount being requested for this individual reimbursement request. Total should match item 38.a.
Date of Submission: Date of submission of this reimbursement request.
Request #: Enter the value of the number of reimbursement requests submitted to date for this individual county. If this is the first request, enter 1. If a request is returned or rejected, the value of the request stays the same. The request # must correspond with the # of reimbursements paid to date for this county under this program.

Current Request Worksheet Headers – Items 6 - 18

Work Type:
Vendor Name or Payee Name: Enter the name of the vendor or payee. This must match the submitted documentation.
Invoice # or Unique Identifier for Other Support Documentation: Enter the invoice number or Unique Identifier for other support documentation that does not have an invoice number. This must match the submitted documentation.
Quantity (If applicable): This section is typically used for materials. Enter the quantity of materials indicated on the documentation.
Unit Cost (If applicable): This section is typically used for materials. Enter the unit cost of the item attributed to the project. This should match with the supporting documentation. If unit cost does not match the supporting documentation or is not included with the documentation, the grantee must upload a signed certification from an authorized representative of the company describing how the unit cost was calculated.
Invoice or Other Support Document Amount: Enter the total amount of the invoice or other support document. Please include taxes, shipping, and other costs applicable to the invoice or other support document. This must match the submitted documentation.
Date of Invoice or Other Support Document: Enter the date of the invoice or other support document. For materials, this is not the shipping date or delivery date. This is the date of the point of sale or the date that the vendor invoiced for payment. For construction, installation, and engineering, this is the date of the invoice by the vendor; however, the supporting documentation must include the dates of service or work completed for the specific invoice. This must match the submitted documentation.
Quantity Used for the Current Request: This section is typically used for materials. Enter the quantity of materials used for the project. Bulk orders of materials are eligible; however, the grantee must submit additional documentation to indicate the itemized list of materials used towards the project and show the calculation of quantity of materials used towards the project.
Quantity Used Cumulatively: This section is typically used for materials. Enter the quantity of materials used for the project cumulatively. Bulk orders of materials are eligible; however, the grantee must submit additional documentation to indicate the itemized list of materials used towards the project and show the calculation of quantity of materials used towards the project.
Is This Invoice Used for Another NC DIT Project?: For grantees that have multiple projects, this section allows a grantee to identify whether a specific invoice was also associated with another NC DIT funded project. This will allow grant managers to review the submitted invoices across multiple projects.
Eligible Amount Expended Towards the Project. Enter the total eligible amount of the invoice expended towards the project. Bulk orders of materials are eligible; however, the grantee must submit additional documentation to indicate the itemized list of materials used towards the project and show the calculation of the $ amount expended towards the project in relation to Section 10.
Date Paid: Enter the date that the invoice was paid. The grantee must show proof of payment. The date must match the proof of payment. If paying with debit or credit card, the grantee must also provide a corresponding monthly statement.
Proof of Payment: Enter the type of documentation submitted for proof of payment.
Description of what was purchased: Enter additional information to assist the NC DIT reviewer in determining the eligibility of each invoice.

Current Request Worksheet Eligible Activities – Items 20 - 38

The following sections are suggested budget line items under which to organize expenses. The grantee can create additional rows, as needed.

Easements: Enter each invoice associated with this line-item activity. The grantee must follow the guidance and cost limitations of the awarded program year.
Enter the total dollar amount of all the eligible Easement invoices in the orange box. The grantee may use Excel to AutoSum the total amount.
Materials: Enter each invoice associated with this line-item activity. Bulk orders of materials are eligible; however, the grantee must submit additional documentation to indicate the itemized list of materials used towards the project, show the calculation of quantity of materials used towards the project, and the $ amount expended towards the project.
Enter the total dollar amount of all the eligible Materials invoices in the orange box. For bulk orders, only use the dollar amount expended towards the project. The grantee may use Excel to AutoSum the total amount.
Construction/Installation: Enter each invoice associated with this line-item activity. If in-house staff were used to complete this activity, the grantee must follow the guidance of the awarded program and submit additional documentation.
Enter the total dollar amount of all the eligible Construction/Installation invoices in the orange box. The grantee may use Excel to AutoSum the total amount.
Testing: Enter each invoice associated with this line-item activity. The grantee is required to explain the costs associated with this activity in section 14 or submit additional information.
Enter the total dollar amount of all the eligible Testing invoices in the orange box. The grantee may use Excel to AutoSum the total amount.
Engineering: Enter each invoice associated with this line-item activity. If in-house staff were used to complete this activity, the grantee must follow the guidance of the awarded program and submit additional documentation. The grantee is required to explain the costs associated with this activity in section 14 or submit additional information.
Enter the total dollar amount of all the eligible Engineering invoices in the orange box. The grantee may use Excel to AutoSum the total amount.
Lease/Collocation Fees: Enter each invoice associated with this line-item activity. The grantee must follow the guidance and cost limitations of the awarded program.
Enter the total dollar amount of all the eligible Lease/Collocation Fees invoices in the orange box. The grantee may use Excel to AutoSum the total amount.
-37. These sections are classified as Other. The grantee must specify the activity. The activity must be approved and match the grant agreement and the EBS.
Total Expenses: This is the total $ amount of all eligible invoices. This is a formula-based calculation that sums sections 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, and 37, as needed.
1. Requested amount of total reimbursement under this request.

Submission in BIO Data Exchange

Reimbursement requests and all back-up documentation for the Broadband Recovery Program should be submitted through NCDIT’s BIO Data Exchange cloud storage folders. These folders provide for the secure upload of files to private folders that are only accessible to the broadband provider to which they are assigned.

These folders should be used by broadband providers for the following data exchange purposes:

Upload the Reimbursement Request Form and Invoice Tracker (with all relevant tabs completed)
Upload all documentation supporting the tracker
Upload of additional required forms including Certification of No Overdue Tax Debts, Byrd Anti-Lobbying Form, Key Personnel Form

Upon the identification of the correct data contact person(s) at each participating broadband provider, secure login credentials and instructions will be individually provided. These credentials can then be used to upload the necessary files from an internet browser. Files should be uploaded using the NCDIT Broadband Data Exchange web application at assets.gis.nc.gov/apps/ncbio-data-exchange/index.html. Credentials should be requested at least three days prior to the submission deadline to ensure time for assignment of credentials and submission of materials.

Designated data contacts (including name, email and phone number) should be emailed to [email protected].

Deadline for Submission

The office is requesting that all reimbursement materials be submitted as soon as possible, but no later than June 30, 2026. In limited cases, the office may consider reimbursement requests beyond this date.

Please submit any questions regarding the reimbursement process or this program via email to [email protected].

Broadband Recovery Program Reimbursement Guidance