Granville County Board of Commissioners have finalized a partnership with Brightspeed and the NC Department of Information Technology to provide high-speed fiber internet access to close to 2,000 homes and businesses in rural spots across the county.
Through the Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) Grant Program, Brightspeed will have two years to install internet infrastructure capable of providing fiber internet service to the approved locations. The NC GREAT Grant award totaled $4 million, and Granville County will use ARPA funds to kick in 20 percent of the more than $6.67 million project cost.
County leaders and elected officials continue to find ways to increase access to reliable internet service throughout the county.
State laws prohibit county and city governments from installing or providing internet infrastructure, but partnerships with internet service providers are allowed..
Board of Commissioners Chair Russ May said this project is a good start to provide more high-speed access to county residents. “Much like water or electric service, high-speed internet access is an essential utility for daily life, and we are thankful that the State of North Carolina chose to dedicate a significant portion of their ARPA funding to this project,” May said.
The areas served by this project are concentrated on the outskirts of Oxford, in western Granville County around the Berea and Culbreth communities, and the northern Granville County communities of Cornwall, Oak Hill, Gela and Grassy Creek.
To view a full map of addresses served, click here: https://www.granvillecounty.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/GREAT-Grant-Broadband-Infrastructure-Project-Locations-20230126.pdf