On Aug. 21, Senator Thom Tillis announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will be awarding $24.9 million to North Carolina to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to provide high-speed internet. This network will benefit 2,674 people, 84 businesses, 117 farms, and four educational facilities in Bladen, Columbus and Sampson Counties.
All funding comes directly from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Senator Tillis helped negotiate, write and pass into law. Tillis also played a key role in drafting the broadband provisions in the bill, which resulted in the largest investment to expand access to high-speed internet in the nation’s history.
The announcement is in addition to the $1.53 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law awarded to North Carolina in June for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, which will be used to expand access to high-speed internet through planning, infrastructure deployment and adoption programs.
“I’m proud to have worked on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that will deliver more than $24.9 million to expand access to high-speed internet in Bladen, Columbus, and Sampson Counties,” said Senator Tillis in a press release. “This critical investment will help bridge the digital divide for North Carolina’s rural communities and deploy the resources that families need and deserve.”
To wrap up the first day, attendees were able to meet up for a social event at the Brad Halling American Whiskey Ko. in Southern Pines where a $10,000 check was presented to the Joint Special Operations Foundation for their scholarship fund. Photo pr
The three-story, 200,000 square-foot business incubator space is located at 420 Maiden Lane. The building features an elevator, construction has begun on handicap bathrooms for the first floor and the second and third floors feature window walls offering views of Segra Stadium.
Image provided by FTCCFocused on building the local workforce and streamlining the education process through real world learning, the Hope, Opportunity, Prosperity through Education Program at Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC), also kno
