RALEIGH – Friday – Governor Josh Stein announced $48 million in new investments through North Carolina’s Completing Access to Broadband (CAB) program. The funding will support projects in 22 counties, including Iredell County, to expand access to high-speed internet for a total of 14,514 households and businesses.
In Iredell County, Yadkin Valley Telephone Membership Corporation (Zirrus) has been awarded funding to provide broadband access to 517 homes and businesses. This represents 24.22% of the county’s 2,135 locations identified as eligible for expansion.
The CAB program combines federal and private funding to accelerate broadband deployment in underserved areas. Iredell County’s share is part of over $33 million allocated from the federal American Rescue Plan, supplemented by more than $14 million in contributions from internet service providers.
“With reliable high-speed internet, North Carolinians can access online services necessary for remote work, virtual education, and telehealth, ensuring they can fully participate in the modern digital world,” said Teena Piccione, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Information Technology (NCDIT) and State Chief Information Officer.
The CAB program enables counties and NCDIT to work together to identify underserved areas, request proposals from qualified providers, and award funding for projects that meet the state’s broadband standards. Award recipients must offer internet speeds of at least 100 Mbps for both downloads and uploads.
This latest round of CAB funding is part of North Carolina’s broader initiative to close the digital divide. To date, the state has awarded $596 million through its Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) grants and earlier CAB projects, aiming to connect more than 230,000 homes and businesses.
For more details about North Carolina’s broadband programs, visit ncbroadband.gov.
