The Broadband Infrastructure Office, part of the N.C Department of Information Technology (NCDIT) Division of Broadband and Digital Equity, today announced four additional awards to deploy high-speed internet infrastructure across the state via the following Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) grants:
- Halifax County: Zitel LLC
- Cabarrus County: Yadkin Valley TMC (Yadtel | Zirrus)
- Stanly County: Yadkin Valley TMC (Yadtel | Zirrus)
- Union County: Spectrum Southeast, LLC (Charter Communications dba Spectrum)
The GREAT grant program provides matching grants to internet service providers and electric membership cooperatives that may partner with individual N.C. counties to compete for funding to expand high-speed internet service to unserved areas of the state. These GREAT grant awards add to the more than $260 million total awarded in the previous three announcements on July 18, Aug. 1 and Aug. 31.
The new awards in Cabarrus, Stanly and Union counties are due to a technical error in scoring for awards previously made in those counties. NCDIT is working with those original awardees to identify funding to complete projects where there is no duplication with the new awards. NCDIT and the GREAT grant program prioritize projects that address unserved locations and avoid duplicative funding allocations. NCDIT will make additional awards under the GREAT grant program in the coming months.
As part of the GREAT grant eligibility requirements, all internet service provider applicants must participate in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides eligible low-income households a $30 per month discount on high-speed internet service, or provide access to a comparable low-cost program. Learn more about the ACP and $30 per month reliable, high-speed internet packages offered by internet service providers at getinternet.gov.
NCDIT received 305 applications proposing to serve more than 487,000 N.C. homes and businesses for this $350 million round of GREAT grants. Applications were scored based on the number of households and businesses they propose to serve, the average cost to serve those locations, and the speeds offered. Applicants must agree to provide high-speed service, defined as a minimum of 100 Megabits per second (Mbps) download and 20 Mbps upload, scalable to 100 Mbps download and 100 Mbps upload on or before Dec. 31, 2026. All awards are contingent on final executed grant agreements with broadband provider partners.
For more information about the NCDIT Division of Broadband and Digital Equity, please visit www.ncbroadband.gov.