Durham Reporter

More North Carolinians will have access to high-speed internet as Gov. Roy Cooper unveiled the Growing Rural Economics with Access to Technology (GREAT) program this week in Alamance County.

"High-speed internet access is critical for people to work, learn, access telehealth and connect with one another,” Cooper said in a recent press release from his office. “Thanks to this significant GREAT grant award funding, many more North Carolina families and small business owners will have the tools they need to succeed in today's digital world.” 

The GREAT grants will put $206 million into improving high-speed internet access, affecting 85,000 homes and more than 2,400 businesses across the state.

The N.C. Department of Information Technology (NCDIT) will award grants to internet providers in 69 counties across the state, including Durham, Cumberland, Johnston, Alamance and Wake, in and around the Triangle and Triad.

"We are excited to be awarding this unprecedented amount of funding to bring high-speed internet access to such a large number of residents and businesses across the state,” Jim Weaver, NCDIT secretary and State chief information officer, said in the release. “These funds will go a long way in closing the digital divide by bringing equitable access to both rural and urban communities.”

The companies that are receiving the grants must participate in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides low-income households a $30 per month discount on high-speed internet service.