Edenton, NC – November 12, 2025 – FOCUS Broadband has announced that high-speed internet service is now available to more than 7,000 addresses in Chowan and Perquimans counties, with additional addresses coming soon. Residents and businesses in rural areas of both counties may now take advantage of fiber optic broadband service with speeds up to 5Gig, enabling them to work and learn remotely, access telehealth services and more. FOCUS Broadband began its efforts to bring high-speed internet to Chowan and Perquimans counties nearly five years ago by partnering with administrations from both counties to pursue funding through broadband expansion programs.
In 2022, the company was awarded $8 million in grant funds from the North Carolina Department of Information Technology (NCDIT) Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) Grant program to bring fiber optic broadband service to more than 3,600 addresses in Chowan and Perquimans counties. Building on that success, FOCUS Broadband received an additional $7.2 million in GREAT Grant funding in 2023 to extend service to an additional 1,700 addresses across both counties. In addition to the GREAT Grants, FOCUS Broadband also received $6 million through NCDIT’s Completing Access to Broadband (CAB) program to expand service to almost all the remaining underserved addresses in many of the most remote areas of both counties. Construction on these CAB-funded projects has been underway for several months and is expected to be completed quickly. Once these final phases are finished, FOCUS Broadband will serve more than 8,000 addresses across Chowan and Perquimans counties. FOCUS Broadband has invested $3 million of its own as matching funding for these grant awards.
“We are proud to bring reliable, high-speed internet to thousands of residents in Chowan and Perquimans counties,” shared FOCUS Broadband CEO Keith Holden. “This achievement wouldn’t have been possible without the unwavering support of the county commissioners, county managers and community leaders. We’re also grateful for the partnership of Albemarle Electric Membership Corporation, whose assistance was instrumental in our network construction, and for NCDIT, whose ongoing commitment to rural broadband expansion through the GREAT and CAB programs was vital to this effort.”
This past week, FOCUS Broadband also hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new operations site, located in the Edenton-Chowan Industrial Park. The new facility will serve as a central hub for the company’s technicians, as well as store equipment. Speakers included Chowan County Board of Commissioners Chairman Bob Kirby, Perquimans County Assistant Manager Brandon Shoaf, and NCDIT Deputy Secretary for Broadband and Digital Opportunity Annette Taylor, who each highlighted the transformative impact of high-speed internet access on the area.
“High-speed internet access is not a luxury in today’s digital world—it is a lifeline. Our commitment to closing the digital divide in North Carolina is strengthened by great partners like FOCUS Broadband,” said Annette Taylor, NCDIT Deputy Secretary for Broadband and Digital Opportunity. “Together, we are connecting people and creating opportunities for our rural communities.”
Along with fiber optic broadband services, FOCUS Broadband provides home telephone, wireless service, and business solutions in Chowan and Perquimans counties. For more information, residents and businesses can visit www.getfocusbroadband.com or call 888-367-2862.
