Bringing high-speed internet to rural communities in North Carolina
Brightspeed is getting a major boost to expand its fiber internet service across North Carolina. The company has secured $31.2 million in state funding through the Completing Access to Broadband (CAB) program. It will contribute an additional $13 million of its own to the buildout.
The project will bring high-speed fiber to more than 18,000 homes and businesses in underserved parts of the state.
Targeting rural and underserved areas
The expansion will focus on rural and suburban regions, especially in eastern and central North Carolina. Some of the largest counties in the project include:
- Wake County (urban, home to Raleigh)
- Cumberland County (urban, home to Fayetteville)
- Pitt County (suburban, includes Greenville)
- Onslow County (suburban, includes Jacksonville)
- Nash County (rural/suburban, near Rocky Mount)
Other rural counties in the plan include Dare, Greene, Pamlico, Vance, and Tyrrell, among others.
Steve Brewer, Brightspeed’s regional director of government affairs, said the goal is to connect more people who currently lack fast, reliable internet.
“We’re already reaching more than 430,000 locations in the state,” Brewer said. “This lets us push even farther into areas that have long been left behind.”
North Carolina’s CAB and BEAD Work Together
North Carolina’s CAB program is designed to work hand-in-hand with the federal BEAD (Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment) program. CAB focuses on accelerating internet expansion in areas where immediate buildout is possible, while BEAD is a longer-term, federally funded effort to reach every unserved location. By combining both programs, the state is ensuring that funding flows quickly and strategically, closing gaps without duplication and helping providers like Brightspeed deploy infrastructure more efficiently.
With this new award and others from the GREAT grant program, Brightspeed has secured $218.6 million in public funding in North Carolina alone. Combined with private investment, the company says it plans to reach nearly 899,000 locations in the state.
Nationally, Brightspeed has brought in over $270 million in broadband grants. That includes its first BEAD grant in Louisiana and planned expansions across 14 states, adding 139,000 more locations to its fiber network.
More on Public Broadband
- North Carolina’s Broadband Map of eligible sites and progress
- More of our recent stories about BEAD and public broadband programs
- For up-to-date information on the $42 billion BEAD Program, check Brander Group’s BEAD funding progress dashboard
