Nearly $26 million in awards through the state's Stop-Gap Solutions program will be used to connect 5,161 rural North Carolina homes, businesses and community anchor institutions in 66 counties to high-speed internet infrastructure by the end of 2026.

The Stop-Gap Solutions program, administered by the N.C. Department of Information Technology’s (NCDIT) Division of Broadband and Digital Opportunity with federal American Rescue Plan Act funds, is designed to accelerate the expansion of high-speed internet infrastructure to eligible unserved and underserved households, businesses, community anchor institutions, and state facilities across North Carolina. The program addresses coverage gaps in internet access by funding targeted broadband line extensions to reach individuals and small pockets of homes and businesses in hard-to-reach areas. The program complements other statewide deployment efforts and ensures that smaller clusters of unserved and underserved locations are not overlooked.

“High-speed internet access is the foundation for health care delivery, public safety operations, workforce development, and economic growth in our state,” said NCDIT Secretary and State Chief Information Officer Teena Piccione in a press release. “This program allows us to move with urgency and precision to connect more North Carolinians.”

Awards for the following broadband providers will support projects across the GFBJ coverage area to connect homes, businesses and community anchor institutions: 

• Connect Holding II, LLC/Brightspeed ($1,677,000): 2439 locations in Alamance, Beaufort, Bladen, Caldwell, Camden, Carteret, Caswell, Chatham, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Currituck, Edgecombe, Franklin, Greene, Halifax, Harnett, Hertford, Hoke, Hyde, Johnston, Jones, Martin, Montgomery, Moore, Nash, Northampton, Onslow, Orange, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Person, Pitt, Randolph, Rockingham, Sampson, Stokes, Surry, Tyrrell, Vance, Wake, Warren, Washington, Wayne, and Wilson counties 
• LREMC Technologies, LLC/RIVR Tech ($3,812,780.71): 43 locations in Hoke, Robeson and Scotland counties 
• Star Telephone Membership Corp/Star Communications ($443,155): 78 locations in Bladen and Sampson counties 

NCDIT has already contracted more than $670 million in broadband projects scheduled for completion this year to connect more than 252,000 homes and businesses, marking significant progress in expanding access statewide. In addition, NCDIT has awarded nearly $50 million to state government agencies, local governments, community organizations, and nonprofits that have provided 40,965 computers and digital skills training to 66,410 people through trusted, in-community trainers. These investments are designed to prepare residents to safely and effectively use the internet for essential services once infrastructure is in place.

Together, these coordinated efforts reflect the state’s comprehensive strategy to pair broadband access with the tools and training residents need to succeed.

For more information about the Stop-Gap Solutions program and North Carolina’s broadband initiatives, visit ncbroadband.gov.