CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Spectrum today announced it has been awarded a North Carolina Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) Program grant of nearly $6.3 million to bring gigabit high-speed internet access to 1,120 homes and small businesses in Cleveland County. Combined with the state grant of $4 million and a contribution from the County of $700,000, total project investment, including more than $1.5 million from Spectrum, is nearly $6.3 million.
The GREAT grant is one of 20 already awarded to Spectrum to expand fiber-optic broadband infrastructure to areas of the state that currently lack access to high-speed connections. The company is awaiting review of 41 additional GREAT proposals that, if awarded, would bring broadband to an additional 57,000 homes and small businesses in 41 counties across North Carolina, which has the second-largest rural population of any state.
“All North Carolina communities, families and businesses need access to reliable and affordable high-speed internet,” said North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper. “This round of grants means more North Carolinians will be able to take advantage of opportunities to learn, work, access health care and connect to the world.”
“It has been a priority during my tenure as House Speaker to ensure there is sufficient funding available to expand internet access across North Carolina and bring connectivity to all our residents,” said State House Speaker Tim Moore. “Over the next several years, Charter will expand its high-speed broadband network to rural parts of Cleveland County and give unconnected families and small businesses access to its high-speed network.”
Spectrum is already North Carolina’s largest broadband provider, serving 2.8 million customers and employing nearly 11,000 residents in the state.
“Gov. Cooper, his administration and the North Carolina Legislature have shown tremendous leadership in embracing public-private partnerships as a vital strategy for connecting unserved communities,” said Brian Gregory, Vice President of Government Affairs at Charter. “We applaud Cleveland County officials for contributing to this project to make a meaningful difference for residents.”
“We also commend the Legislature and Cooper administration for their support of a $100 million utility pole replacement fund as part of the state’s broadband strategy, which is paying off with significant interest and investment. In all, Spectrum proposed 60 broadband projects across 60 counties and $190 million in investment, thanks to the positive regulatory climate and investment in pole infrastructure.”
“We want our residents to be able to live, work, and play in Cleveland County, and the ability to do that in today’s world requires a reliable internet connection,” added Kevin Gordon, Chairman of the Cleveland County Commissioners. “The GREAT grants, in partnership with providers like Charter, are expanding broadband infrastructure and helping close the digital divide so more people can call Cleveland County home.”
GREAT Program grants further expand Spectrum’s rural construction initiative, the centerpiece of which is the company’s approximately $5 billion investment in unserved rural communities, which includes more than $1 billion won in the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) auction. The company’s RDOF expansion will provide broadband access to approximately 1 million customer locations as estimated by the FCC across 24 states — including more than 125,000 locations in North Carolina — in the coming years. Combined, Spectrum’s GREAT Program grant and RDOF buildouts in Cleveland County will connect 3,080 homes and small businesses.