Cisco targets rural broadband expansion with North Carolina center

Cisco opened a Rural Broadband Innovation Center in North Carolina, which the company said will show off technologies designed for cost-effective broadband expansion. The center, located in Morrisville, a Raleigh suburb, is part of Cisco’s push to address the digital divide. Small, rural providers will play a key role in ensuring equitable broadband access, so they need access to the latest solutions and information on how to implement them, CEO Chuck Robbins said. “We wanted to create a place where those those providers could come and get hands on experience with the technology that’s actually going to make it possible, new technologies like 5G that are going to be used to deliver some of this connectivity out into remote areas,” he said. Cisco is investing $20 million to get the center started. The company announced plans for the center in late 2020, but providers can now schedule visits.