The Fight for High-Speed Internet Continues in Burlington, N.C.

Even as AT&T continues to expand its fiber optic network to condominium and apartment complexes in Burlington (NC) — AT&T says that at least 10 condominium and apartment complexes are connected to its fiber optic network — most city residents and businesses don't have access to fiber optic Internet. Instead, they get their Internet service through slower cable or DSL lines. The average speed is 41.4 megabits per second, according to Broadband Now, a nonprofit company that tracks Internet access in cities around the country.

Government buildings will frequently have fiber connected directly to their buildings, said Jameson Zimmer, Broadband Now’s director of content. Burlington is connected, but is not allowed to provide the Internet as a utility, so it cannot share its network with businesses. In 2015, Burlington joined the Triad Gigabit Initiative, a group of municipalities and universities whose mission is to bring high-speed Internet to everyone in the Triad. The group has selected North State Communications to expand its fiber-optic network.