North Carolina broadband service providers (BSPs) impacted by Hurricane Helene have until 11:59 PM on November 24 to apply for a recovery grant from a $50 million program established by the state.
The office of the governor says that impacted BSPs can apply for the Broadband Recovery Program through the North Carolina Department of Information Technology (NCDIT) Broadband Infrastructure Office Data Exchange.
“Connectivity is essential to resilience,” Teena Piccione, the NCDIT Secretary and State Chief Information Officer, said in a press release. “As we help western North Carolina recover from the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene, restoring broadband service is critical to ensuring communities can rebuild stronger, safer, and more connected than before.”
The program for BSPs was created by legislation signed into law by North Carolina Governor Josh Stein in August. It covers infrastructure projects in 39 disaster-designated counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The program prioritizes funding for service restoration.
Help was provided in the immediate aftermath of the hurricane, which hit in late September 2024. Charter Communications, SpaceX’s Starlink, and Verizon provided free internet and wireless phone communications — and financial and other resources — to residents in areas affected by Hurricane Helene.
It’s been a busy year in North Carolina broadband. The state had not begun accepting applications to the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) rural broadband program when the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) made changes,
Angie Bailey, the North Carolina director of broadband infrastructure, told Telecompetitor that the situation raised questions about BSPs’ ability to participate. The NTIA had, however, made things a bit easier by eliminating some requirements. Additional information about broadband in North Carolina, including links to state funding resources and grants, awards made, BEAD news, state-specific Telecompetitor coverage, and more can be found on the Broadband Nation webpage for the state.
