A new program through the N.C. Department of Information Technology’s (NCDIT) Office of Digital Equity and Literacy will award $14 million in grants to community organizations to help North Carolinians afford high-speed internet, obtain digital devices and access digital literacy resources. The Digital Champions grant program has received 230 applications from community service, nonprofit, higher education and regional organizations requesting more than $150 million in funding from the $14 million program, demonstrating the strong need for more digital equity resources in the state.

Governor Roy Cooper joined President Joe Biden in Raleigh today to announce $82 million in new investments from the American Rescue Plan’s Capital Projects Fund that will connect at least 16,000 North Carolina homes and businesses to high-speed internet as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda.

Governor Roy Cooper today urged Congressional leaders to support the bipartisan Affordable Connectivity Extension Act. This legislation will provide $7 billion to continue the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and ensure millions of low-income U.S. households stay connected to reliable high-speed internet when current funding is projected to end in mid-2024.

The NCDIT Division of Broadband and Digital Equity is seeking public comment by noon on Jan. 2, 2024, on the draft North Carolina Digital Equity Plan, which will address high-speed internet affordability, access to devices and digital literacy for all North Carolinians over the next five years.

The NCDIT Division of Broadband and Digital Equity today announced that qualified community service, nonprofit, higher education and regional organizations now have until Jan. 22, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. to apply for Digital Champion grants to help North Carolinians afford high-speed internet, obtain digital devices and access digital literacy resources.

The NCDIT Division of Broadband and Digital Equity today posted final guidance for its Broadband Pole Replacement Program as part of ongoing efforts to connect more North Carolinians to affordable, reliable high-speed internet.

The N.C. Department of Information Technology’s First Responder Emerging Technologies (FirstTech) program is inviting state government entities to apply for assistance in funding the expansion of the Public Safety Broadband Network to serve a specific state campus.

Governor Roy Cooper is continuing his efforts to urge Congress to reauthorize the Affordable Connectivity Program, which reduces the cost of high-speed internet for eligible North Carolinians. Yesterday, the Governor sent a letter in partnership with Gov. Spencer Cox (R-Utah) and co-signed by 24 other governors from across the nation, calling on Congress to continue funding this essential program.

Governor Roy Cooper today announced the launch of the state’s Digital Champion Grant program, which will help North Carolinians afford high-speed internet, obtain digital devices and access digital literacy resources. The N.C. Department of Information Technology’s Office of Digital Equity and Literacy will administer the program with $14 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds with the goal of expanding digital equity programming and advancing digital inclusion.

The NCDIT Division of Broadband and Digital Equity is developing the initial proposal for how it will use the more than $1.5 billion North Carolina will receive through the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program to ensure that all North Carolinians have access to affordable, reliable high-speed internet.