Next week, MCNC will host a groundbreaking celebration in Sanford, North Carolina, to kick off its HERO middle-mile broadband expansion. The High-Speed Economies for Rural Opportunity (HERO) project is expected to add 209 miles of middle-mile fiber to MCNC’s 4,536-mile network when it is completed in 2025.
According to an MCNC press release, the HERO middle-mile expansion will directly boost improvements to broadband access and affordability in 11 counties in central and southeastern North Carolina. The counties expected to benefit from the expansion have more than 16,000 unserved and 12,000 underserved homes, including some of the highest poverty areas in the state.
In total, HERO could potentially impact more than 350,000 homes and 696 community anchor institutions, according to the announcement.
MCNC received $11.2 million from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) in June 2023 for the HERO Project, to extend its network by 209 fiber miles via two strategic routes: from Albemarle to Winston-Salem (74 miles) in the central part of the state, and between Sanford (via Fayetteville) to Jacksonville (135 miles) in southeastern North Carolina.
The Golden LEAF Foundation awarded close to $1.4 million to be used as matching funds for the southeastern route. With this award plus MCNC’s own investments, the HERO project will be putting approximately $19 million towards middle-mile infrastructure and broadband networks in North Carolina.
“This expansion… will enhance the affordability strategies of last-mile commercial providers in these communities, as well as help support important construction and engineering jobs throughout the project,” the press release stated.
MCNC provides technology services in all 100 counties of North Carolina. The nonprofit technology organization, founded in 1980, owns and operates the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN), which is the fundamental broadband infrastructure for more than 850 institutions including all public K-20 education in North Carolina.
“Investing in broadband is investing in our future, and our HERO Project is a generational investment to support equitable access and opportunity throughout North Carolina,” said MCNC President and CEO Tracy Doaks. “This moment today will impact the quality of life of so many tomorrow! The continued support from the NTIA and the Golden LEAF Foundation along with our own stakeholders makes this particular project a very special one for MCNC and a game changer for economic growth and success in our local communities.”
MCNC was one of 32 awardees in the NTIA Middle Mile awards for broadband expansion, which were announced in 2023 and totaled $930 million.
