Broadband

North Carolina has released its plan for $408 million in grants to expand high-speed internet service to the remaining homes and businesses that don't have access.

North Carolina has spent $675 million in recent years to expand broadband internet across the state. But the state now has more than double that amount in federal funding available to connect people who still don’t have access to high speeds, ramping up the effort to get full high-speed coverage across the state.

The program was created as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 and was a follow-up to the Emergency Broadband Benefit, which helped households afford internet access during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Affordable Connectivity Program, a $14.2 billion federal program that provides subsidies to low-income households for high-speed internet, is due to sunset in April.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and White House senior adviser Mitch Landrieu unveiled the grant during a visit to North Carolina. There are 49 recipients in 24 states. Thursday's announcement and visit to North Carolina come as President Joe Biden and other top Democratic officials try to sell their achievements to voters before the Nov. 8 midterm elections.

Service providers now have until May to apply for the grant.

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