Broadband Pole Replacement Program

The Broadband Pole Replacement Program was 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 appropriated $100 million of federal American Rescue Plan Act funds for the program. 

In August 2025, S.L. 2025-89 changed the program in the following ways:

  • Reimbursements may be requested for pole replacements, as previously outlined, but may also now be sought for placing facilities underground.
  • Poles eligible through the program were expanded with the addition of utility poles and the allowance of cooperatively organized entities that are affiliated with a pole owner.
  • The definition of a qualified project now includes underserved areas, instead of solely unserved areas.
  • The definition of unserved areas now includes areas that have become unserved due to natural disaster.

In addition, up to $50 million of the program fund may now be utilized for Hurricane Helene recovery for broadband, meaning the pole replacement fund may be limited to $50 million depending on demand for each program. 
 

Apply by Jan. 26, 2026

Prequalified providers who wish to apply for reimbursement through the Broadband Pole Replacement program for eligible costs incurred after June 1, 2021, must submit the required application and materials online by 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 26, 2026, through the Broadband Infrastructure Office’s Data Exchange. 

Incomplete applications and applications received after the deadline will not be eligible for consideration in this round of the program, and additional funding rounds may not be available. 

  • Broadband providers that pay for/incur the costs of removing and replacing an existing utility pole in connection with a qualified project may apply for reimbursement equal to 50% of eligible pole replacement costs paid/incurred or $10,000, whichever is less, for each pole replaced.
  • Additionally, broadband providers who pay for/incur the costs of placing facilities underground to better protect the critical infrastructure from natural disasters as part of a qualified project may apply for reimbursement for 50% of such costs.
     

Broadband Pole Replacement Guidance (Revised Dec. 17, 2025) 

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. 

Application Instructions & Materials

Please review the application instructions and details in the guidance document before applying.  

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

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

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)
  • 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 RFP. We are not prequalifying additional vendors.

Questions?

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

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