North Carolina Department of Information Technology
North Carolina State Office of Digital Equity and Literacy Launches Digital Champion Grant Program
Governor Roy Cooper (D-NC) launched North Carolina’s Digital Champion Grant program, which will help North Carolinians afford high-speed internet, obtain digital devices, and access digital literacy resources.
State of North Carolina BEAD Five-Year Plan
North Carolina’s five-year action plan for the state’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program funding has been approved by both the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The Division of Broadband and Digital Equity made the draft plan available for public comment earlier in summer 2
North Carolina Awards Nearly $80 Million to Give More North Carolinians High-Speed Internet Access, Gov. Cooper Announces
Across North Carolina, 25,825 households and 862 businesses in 33 counties will get high-speed internet thanks to nearly $80 million in additional Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) grants, Governor Roy Cooper (D-NC) announced. These latest grant awards add to the more than $269 million total awarded in 2022 to connect 117,405 households and businesses. As part of the federally-funded GREAT grant eligibility requirements, all internet service provider applicants must participate in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).
Governor Cooper Establishes Nation's First Office of Digital Equity and Literacy
Governor Roy Cooper announced the creation of a new Office of Digital Equity and Literacy, a first for North Carolina and the first in the nation. The office is part of the newly created Division of Broadband and Digital Equity within the North Carolina Department of Information Technology (NCDIT), elevating Gov Cooper's priority to close the digital divide in North Carolina. NCDIT Secretary Jim Weaver has named Nate Denny as the new Deputy Secretary of Broadband and Digital Equity. Jeremy Collins, who served as director of the NC@High Speed initiative in Gov.
Broadband & Telehealth in North Carolina's Appalachian Coal-Impacted Communities
The Broadband Infrastructure Office and the NC Department of Health and Human Services Office of Rural Health conducted a feasibility study that examined the broadband, health care and telehealth assets – including the health disparities and broadband gaps as well as opportunities – for the 20 counties in North Carolina’s Appalachian region that are most affected by the coal industry. The study confirmed that: