Three new high-speed internet projects are coming to Chatham County thanks to grant awards from the North Carolina Department of Information and Technology (NCDIT).

Broadband expansion across the county is part of North Carolina’s statewide “Completing Access to Broadband” program. Governor Josh Stein announced $31 million in grant funding would be put towards these efforts in April. The grants provided by the program will support expansion projects spearheaded by internet service providers Spectrum, Brightspeed, and Windstream, who will work in collaboration with Chatham County and NCDIT. 

“High-speed internet is essential for daily life,” said Bryan Thompson, Chatham County Manager. “These projects move us closer to closing the digital divide and ensuring all Chatham communities have the internet access they need to thrive.”

The new projects will allow ISPs to serve just over 2,000 homes and private businesses who previously lacked high-speed internet access. Chatham County representatives say that the new projects will bring the total of properties across the county with broadband to 10,450. Following these expansions, NCDIT estimates that only 1,813 areas in Chatham County will remain without broadband. Those properties will be the targets of future projects.

Efforts to expand broadband access in Chatham County and across the state has been a governmental priority for a few years. In 2022, the county received grant funding from the state’s “Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology” (GREAT) grant program, which ultimately provided broadband access to 2,404 homes. That project was taken on by Brightspeed, and was paid for using local funds, private funds from Brightspeed, and grant funding from GREAT. Brightspeed then received a CAB grant in 2024 to provide an additional 2,555 properties with broadband. The latest grants are a continuation of this work, and future grants will be required to provide broadband to all Chatham County properties.

“No matter where you live in the state, you should have access to high-speed internet,” said Governor Josh Stein. “Broadband is critical to providing more economic opportunity to every corner of the state, and I am proud to create a stronger and more connected North Carolina for every person and small business owner.”

To learn more about broadband expansion efforts in Chatham County, visit the Chatham County Broadband Hub Site. A full release from the county on the new projects can be found here.

 

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