USDA Invests $7.9 Million in Rural Broadband for North Carolina Families

The US Department of Agriculture invested $7.9 million in high-speed broadband infrastructure to create or improve e-Connectivity for more than 4,000 rural households in North Carolina. Atlantic Telephone Membership Corporation’s Faster Columbus Advanced Connectivity for Communities, Education, Safety and Support (ACCESS) project will use a $7.9 million ReConnect Program grant to bring fiber-optic broadband into unserved and underserved rural areas of Columbus County. The service areas include 4,057 households, 18 businesses, 22 farms, 15 educational facilities, three health care facilities and 10 critical community facilities spread over approximately 150 square miles. The project will facilitate more access to services and information for area residents, and it will improve the overall quality of life for people in this community.