Tag Archive for: #NCDIT

Granville County Public Schools

GCPS, Library System Team Up With $400K Digital Divide Grant Funding

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Granville County Public Schools and the Granville County Library System are teaming up with a project that will benefit students and library patrons, with help from a $400,000 Digital Champion grant.

The grant comes from the N.C. Department of Information Technology, which has awarded more than $30 million to fund 63 projects across the state in an effort to bridge the digital divide.

The two Granville County entities will use the money to refresh student laptops and to expand technology-based paid internships for GCPS high school students, according to information from GCPS Public Information Officer Courtney Currin, as well as purchase devices for checkout and use through the Granville County Library System and secure mobile Starlink internet access for the rural library branches and other parts of the county with limited internet access.

Library Director Will Robinson called the partnership a “wonderful opportunity,” noting that the Digital Champion grant will allow the library to expand its digital resources and ensure that patrons and students “have access to essential technology and online information regardless of their background or financial situation. By bridging the digital divide, we empower our residents with the tools they need for education, employment and personal growth.”

GCPS Superintendent Dr. Stan Winborne said the funding will help prepare students to use technology in the workplace more effectively.

“It also allows us to further impact our community in our partnership with the Granville County Library System. All Granville County citizens deserve reliable access to technology and broadband. We look forward to seeing how this funding will positively impact our schools, students, and Granville County citizens,” Winborne said.

Aug. 6, 7 Forums To Provide Updates On Broadband Internet Expansion

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– information courtesy of the Office of N.C. Rep. Frank Sossamon

N.C. Rep. Frank Sossamon has scheduled upcoming forums – one in Vance County and one in Granville County – to provide updates on the status of expanding broadband internet across the counties he serves.

Leaders from the N.C. Department of Information Technology’s (NCDIT) Division of Broadband and Digital Equity will provide in-person updates on the state’s efforts to close the digital divide, according to a press statement from Sossamon’s office.

The Vance County forum will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 6 at Perry Memorial Library from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. NCDIT Deputy Secretary for Broadband and Digital Equity Nate Denny will be the speaker.

The Granville County forum will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 7, also from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the Granville County Expo Center. NCDIT Broadband Infrastructure Deputy Director George Collier will be the guest speaker.

To date, the Division of Broadband and Digital Equity has awarded more than $500 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding to deploy high-speed internet infrastructure across North Carolina. This funding also supports initiatives to help residents afford internet access, obtain digital devices, and access digital literacy resources.

Specific to Granville and Vance counties, nearly $12 million has been awarded for projects connecting 5,828 homes and businesses. Highlights include:

  • Fybe: Awarded $1.8 million in June through the Completing Access to Broadband (CAB) program, with an additional $1.8 million from Granville County and over $1.5 million from Fybe, to expand high-speed internet to 1,720 homes and businesses in Granville County.
  • Spectrum: Awarded $4 million in CAB funds in 2023 to connect 1,530 homes and businesses in Granville County.
  • Brightspeed: Received $4 million in Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) grants to connect 1,914 homes and businesses in Granville County and nearly $2 million to connect 664 locations in Vance County.

Granville County Schools have also benefited from these efforts, recently receiving $400,000 to expand device lending programs, offer digital literacy training led by student interns, and establish community Wi-Fi locations through the division’s Digital Champion grant program.

Attendees at both sessions will have the opportunity to ask questions about the state’s broadband initiatives and individual projects aimed at bringing high-speed internet service and digital literacy resources to their county.

NC DIT Survey To Collect Info About Internet Accessibility

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Granville County residents are being asked to take part in a survey about internet capabilities where they live and their accessibility to the internet with phones, computers, tablets and more.

Having reliable broadband internet continues to be an important factor facing communities across the state and nation, and Granville County is no exception.

“In an effort to bridge the digital divide and ensure that every resident of North Carolina has access to high-quality internet services, we have launched the North Carolina Broadband Survey,” according to information from the N.C. Department of Information Technology’s division of broadband and digital equity. The survey will help gather information about which areas throughout the region lack adequate internet access and high-speed connectivity, officials noted.

Access the survey at: https://ncsu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9EpNXtAhUn7IOQS

GREAT Grant To Bring Broadband To More Warren Homes, Businesses

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The NC Department of Information Technology has announced that Spectrum Southeast, LLC has been awarded a $4 million grant to provide broadband services to more than 1,400 households and businesses in Warren County. Once this project and another federally funded project are completed, the entire county should have broadband availability.

The Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) grants are awarded from the federal American Rescue Fund Act State Fiscal Recovery Funds.

According to information from Warren County’s Charla Duncan, the service provider will match $1,408,229; the county has expressed a willingness to partner with Spectrum in helping to achieve the match. If all goes according to plan, 1,434 households and businesses in Warren County will get broadband services.

In 2021, Spectrum was also awarded a majority of the eligible Census tracts in Warren County through the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) federal reverse auction. This funding supports a build-out of a fiber network to eligible areas which covers roughly 2,000 households.

Warren County has worked with Spectrum since the RDOF award was announced in early 2021 to leverage federal dollars and to apply for state funding as well. At the December 2021 meeting, the Board of Commissioners reached a consensus giving County Manager Vincent Jones authority to move forward in negotiating a partnership with Spectrum to cover homes that were not a part of the RDOF award. GREAT grant funds and county dollars will assist in supplying the funding necessary to cover these households. Combining these programs will essentially lead to countywide availability of broadband.

Details on a construction timeline and specific household addresses that will be served are in the works. However, both the GREAT grant and RDOF funding outline set a completion time as part of the funding requirements. The GREAT grant program has a two-year construction timeline after all agreements are finalized.

More information on RDOF can be found at https://www.fcc.gov/auction/904. More information on the GREAT grant can be found at https://www.ncbroadband.gov/grants/other-resources/great-grant-state.

Board Continues Work to Improve 911 Communications Across State

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100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

-Press Release, NC DIT 

The North Carolina 911 Board is providing North Carolina residents with technological improvements to 911 communications across the state through the Next Generation 911 (NG911) initiative. These advancements, which include the Emergency Services IP Network (ESInet), ensure that N.C. residents can access 911 services regardless of location or the communication technology they use.

Transitioning 911 to the ESInet enables digital information such as cell phone calls, text messages, pictures and video to be routed to the appropriate 911 call center, or Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), across a closed, private network via location-based call routing capabilities.

To support the implementation of NG911 services, in 2019, North Carolina was awarded a $3.9 million federal grant by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). In addition, the N.C. 911 Board awarded $10.5 million in grants from the state’s 911 Fund to support the migration to ESInet, new PSAPs, and radio and dispatch upgrades.

“We are excited to be on target with 25 percent of the PSAPs having migrated to the ESInet, and the majority of those also took advantage of the hosted call handling solution that is part of the overall NG911 initiative for the state,” said Pokey Harris, executive director of the North Carolina 911 Board. “We appreciate those PSAPs that were willing to be among the first to migrate to ESInet and are excited that North Carolina is leading the way for NG911, being touted as an innovator.”

A total of 32 PSAPs in North Carolina have migrated to the ESInet, with 31 of those occurring in 2019. All 127 PSAPs across the state are required to complete the transition to the ESInet by July 1, 2021. A map of PSAPs and their migration status is available here.

With more 911 centers coming online, in September 2019, the board celebrated the opening of the Network Monitoring and Assistance Center (NMAC), which will play an important role in making sure services run smoothly across the state.

According to Harris, technicians at the NMAC will monitor the ESInet to immediately troubleshoot network issues and help behind the scenes to provide seamless 911 coverage, so 911 telecommunicators can focus on helping North Carolina residents get the assistance they need as quickly as possible.

Technicians also can quickly reroute emergency calls to other 911 centers as they identify increased trends in emergency calls – particularly in cases such as severe weather or major events that draw large volumes of people to a particular area. During Hurricane Dorian, technicians at the NMAC were prepared to assist in rerouting calls from the coast to counties farther inland, however, it was not necessary.

“Residents and visitors to the state are the true beneficiaries of the NG911 efforts that will ultimately improve 911 service delivery,” said Harris.

The N.C. 911 Board is a 17-member board that is responsible for policies and procedures for wireline and wireless 911 communications in the state and administers the state’s 911 Fund used to support equipment purchases for the 127 public safety answering points (911 centers) in the state. The board is housed with the N.C. Department of Information Technology.

For more information, visit https://it.nc.gov/about/boards-commissions/nc-911-board.

WIZS Note: Brian K. Short, director of Henderson-Vance Emergency Operations, reports that his department successfully transitioned to the ESI Net (Next Generation 911) in September 2019, and operations have been running smoothly in the ensuing months.

State Broadband Office Expanded Access, Worked to Close Digital Divide in 2019

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100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

-Press Release, NCDIT

While it may seem that internet is universal, there are still areas of North Carolina that lack the infrastructure, called broadband, to support high-speed internet in addition to residents who lack the technology to use it. This access – to infrastructure and to devices – is critical for children to complete homework assignments, for farmers and other businesses to run their operations and for providers to deliver improved healthcare for our residents.

The N.C. Department of Information Technology’s (NCDIT) Broadband Infrastructure Office (BIO) is working to close this digital divide and made great strides in 2019 to achieve its goal that every resident has access to affordable, high-speed internet at all times.

“Access to broadband is a life-line and a critical piece in North Carolina residents’ making meaningful connections in order to live a healthier and more fulfilling life,” said Eric Boyette, DIT secretary and state chief information officer. “We’re going to use the momentum we’ve created this past year to help even more residents in 2020.”

Governor Roy Cooper demonstrated his commitment to this goal by issuing Executive Order 91 (EO 91) and establishing the Governor’s Task Force on Connecting North Carolina. EO 91 directs state government leaders to work collaboratively to identify and remove barriers to affordable, high-speed internet access, eliminate the homework gap that results from students not having internet access, and facilitate private-sector deployment of last-mile infrastructure.

BIO made significant progress toward this goal by awarding the first round of grants through the Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) program, which allows internet service providers and electric membership cooperatives to compete for funding to lower financial barriers that prevent broadband expansion in rural communities. Nearly $10 million was awarded to 20 broadband service providers to facilitate the deployment of broadband service in 19 Tier One counties. Of the 13 companies receiving funding, 11 are NC-based small businesses, telephone cooperatives and an electric membership cooperative.

With more than $6 million in matching funds from the providers, around $16 million in total investment will bring service to more than 10,000 households, businesses, agricultural operations and community institutions such as libraries, schools and hospitals. The N.C. General Assembly approved and Gov. Cooper signed legislation providing an additional $30 million for grants through June 2021 to continue the program.

In addition to physically expanding broadband access, digital inclusion is critical to closing the digital divide. This includes ensuring residents have equal access to digital resources, technology and the skills needed to use them. BIO is an active partner in the NC Digital Equity and Inclusion Collaborative and works diligently to level the playing field for N.C. residents. Notable achievements in digital inclusion efforts this year include:

  • In early 2019, BIO partnered with the NC Department of Health & Human Services’ Office of Rural Health (ORH) to secure a $98,273 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) POWER fund to investigate and identify gaps, challenges and opportunities in the existing telehealth infrastructure resources in 20 western N.C. counties and explore how to better use technology to improve health and healthcare in the region.
  • In March, BIO published “The Homework Gap in North Carolina,” a report that provides communities and state and local policymakers with strategies to bridge the homework gap that occurs when students are assigned homework that requires internet access but lack an internet connection at home. The report was developed in conjunction with The William & Ida Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at North Carolina State University.
  • BIO and The State Library of North Carolina won a $250,000 two-year grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and to launch a pilot program to address the homework gap. The program, which began in Robeson County in January, provided digital literacy workshops to 34 families. In July, the program expanded to include four counties, and 62 families have attended workshops.
  • As a result of Gov. Cooper’s Hometown Strong program to support rural communities, NCDIT and the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, home to the State Library, partnered with nine library systems and four municipalities for a pilot program to improve internet access in rural communities. Each of the libraries received $35,000 to purchase equipment such as Wi-Fi hotspots or computers to make available to students or other library patrons for home use. Communities were able to use the funds at their discretion to shape a program that best fit their needs.

BIO further affirmed its commitment to increasing rural broadband by developing a survey and speed test for farmers in partnership with the North Carolina Farm Bureau (NCFB). The survey and speed test will gather data that will provide a clear picture of current connections and speeds available at farms and pinpoint those that lack sufficient connectivity to run their business with 21st-century technology. BIO and NCFB will use this information to develop connectivity solutions for farmers, both in their offices and in the fields.

This project followed the launch of BIO’s Broadband Speed Test, a self-reporting tool that allows residents and businesses to report the actual speeds they receive at home or at work. This tool allows for better mapping of areas of the state that unserved or underserved by broadband providers.

As part of its services, BIO provides a technical assistance team as an on-the-ground resource to work with counties and communities across the state to provide needed broadband expertise. Over the past year, this team aided 70 counties with planning and resource identification, including all 36 counties included in Gov. Roy Cooper’s Hometown Strong program, a partnership between state agencies and local leaders to champion rural communities.

In addition, BIO launched the FirstTech initiative to support state and local public safety and emergency response organizations with identifying emerging communications technologies. It is also monitoring the build-out of FirstNet, the nationwide wireless broadband public safety communications network.

BIO is gearing up for an exciting 2020 that builds upon the success of the past year.

The North Carolina Department of Information Technology’s Broadband Infrastructure Office leads the statewide initiative to expand high-speed internet access for all North Carolinians.

NC Opens 24/7 911 Network Monitoring & Assistance Center

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100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

-Press Release, NC DIT

The N.C. Department of Information Technology on Thursday officially opened the Network Monitoring and Assistance Center (NMAC), which will help support an uninterrupted flow of communication for emergency call centers that have adopted next-generation 911 technology.

NC DIT Secretary and State Chief Information Officer Eric Boyette and N.C. 911 Board Executive Director Pokey Harris were joined by 911 board members and staff in Raleigh for a ribbon-cutting unveiling the center. The first of its kind in the nation, it is staffed 24/7 and equipped to monitor service and performance on North Carolina’s new digital emergency services network, called ESInet.

N.C. 911 Board Members watch as members of the N.C. Department of Information Technology cut the ribbon on the N.C. 911 Network Monitoring & Assistance Center. From left: network engineer Gerry Means, NMAC manager Stanley Meeks, NC DIT Secretary Eric Boyette and N.C. 911 Board Executive Director Pokey Harris. (Photo courtesy NC DIT)

Sixteen of the state’s 127 911 centers – including those in Cumberland, Durham, Forsyth, Gaston, Guilford, Iredell, Martin, Polk, Robeson, Richmond, Scotland, Vance, Wake and Wilson counties – have already migrated to ESInet.

Under state law, the remainder must develop and fully implement plans to migrate no later than July 1, 2021.

“As more and more 911 centers across the state upgrade their technology to support next-generation 911 services, the Network Monitoring and Assistance Center will play an important role in making sure services run smoothly across the state,” Boyette said.

For example, technicians monitoring ESInet can quickly reroute emergency calls to other 911 centers as they identify increased trends in emergency calls – particularly in cases such as severe weather or major events that draw large volumes of people to a particular area.

During Hurricane Dorian, technicians at the NMAC were prepared to assist in rerouting calls from the coast to counties farther inland, however, it was not necessary.

“The NMAC can immediately troubleshoot network issues and help behind the scenes to provide seamless 911 coverage, so emergency personnel can focus on helping North Carolina residents get the assistance they need as quickly as possible,” Harris said.

ESInet, or the Emergency Services IP Network, makes that possible.

It enables call centers to connect through high-speed internet-based routing services to more quickly and effectively communicate with callers as well as other 911 centers.

The ability to reroute emergency calls is one important capability. Call centers also have the option to let users send photos and videos, in addition to voice calls and text messages.

ESInet is a core function of Next Generation 911 – an upgrade to the current 911 system, which was developed in the 1960s – to ensure residents can access 911 services regardless of their location or how their communicating.

“Although reliable, our current 911 system can no longer accommodate how we communicate today,” Boyette said. “Fewer people are using landline phones, and the popularity of wearables and other digital communication services are on the rise. Our residents expect to be able to communicate these ways. And that’s where NC DIT comes in.”

State Broadband Office Publishes Homework Gap Report

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-Information courtesy NC DIT

Eric Boyette, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Information Technology (DIT) and State Chief Information Officer, announced today the release of the “The Homework Gap in North Carolina,” a report that provides communities with strategies to bridge the homework gap that occurs when students are assigned homework that requires internet access but lack an internet connection at home.

N.C. DIT’s Broadband Infrastructure Office developed the homework gap report in partnership with The William & Ida Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at North Carolina State University. This report contributes to a growing body of research and strategic policy recommendations designed to equip state and local policymakers, educators, and other key stakeholders with information to understand the homework gap and strategies to address it.

“We know we have many children in our state that are victims of this digital divide,” Secretary Boyette said. “Understanding the nature and scope of this problem is key to closing the homework gap.”

Governor Roy Cooper’s budget proposal makes closing the homework gap a significant priority. Governor Cooper proposes a $5 million fund to support schools that need internet hot spots for students and Wi-Fi technology for school buses.

“Too often I hear of students doing homework in the parking lots of fast food restaurants or driving long distances to use free Wi-Fi at churches and friends’ homes,” Governor Cooper said. “This is unacceptable in this day and age and it creates inequity in our educational system.”

Governor Cooper also signed Executive Order 91, which establishes a new Governor’s Task Force on Connecting North Carolina and directs state government leaders to identify and remove barriers to facilitate private-sector deployment of last-mile infrastructure, eliminate the homework gap, and support the adoption of affordable, high-speed internet access.

N.C. DIT has already begun implementing the report’s recommendations, including the BIO’s continued effort to gather more and better data through surveys such as the Speak Up survey. Speak Up is an annual research project and a free service to all schools and was the first online research tool designed to help parents share their ideas directly with schools and national policymakers. BIO partnered with the N.C. Department of Public Instruction to include homework gap specific questions in the 2018-2019 Speak Up survey.

One way the state is currently working to combat the homework gap is through the State Library of North Carolina and N.C. DIT’s pilot program with the Robeson County Public Library and Public Schools of Robeson County. The pilot program is funded by a $250,000 two-year grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and will provide Robeson County Public Library with 35 Wi-Fi hotspot devices for up to 35 K-12 households.

To access the report, please visit The Homework Gap in North Carolina on the Broadband Infrastructure Office website. To take the Speak Up survey, please visit https://speakup.tomorrow.org.

NC DIT Cybersecurity Pilot Program for Veterans a Success in First Run

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— press release from NC DIT

Cybersecurity Pilot Program for Veterans a Success in First Run
Apprenticeships help connect disabled vets with a new career

Raleigh, N.C. – Disabled veterans are getting access to skills and experience in the growing field of cybersecurity thanks to a unique partnership between state government, the tech sector and community colleges.

The Disabled Veterans Cybersecurity Apprenticeship program is a collaboration between the Department of Information Technology (DIT) and other state agencies; ISG, a Raleigh-based IT firm specializing in cybersecurity; and educational organizations in the state, including Wake Technical Community College and other community colleges. Only disabled veterans who are honorably discharged from service qualify to participate.

More than 200,000 members of the US military return to civilian life each year with 20,000 of them in North Carolina alone. Getting used to civilian life after a career in the military can prove difficult, especially for those who sustained service-related disabilities. The pilot program gives soldiers a new way to serve their country.

Five apprentices work eight-hour days Monday through Thursday, guided by mentors in their work. On Friday, the apprentices meet for training at ISG in Raleigh. They receive regular salary and benefits, and by the time they graduate from the program in October, they will be eligible to take the examination for and obtain a CISSP – Certified Information System Security Professional Associate certification. The two-year, $500,000 pilot program is in its second year.

“When I was selected for this program, it said to me, ‘Thank you for your service’ on a whole different level. It didn’t just thank me for my service, it thanked my family for the sacrifice that they made…. I really feel like the state is giving back. This is the thanks for my service, and now I am able to take care of my family,” said Vicky Steward, a retired first sergeant in the U.S. Army. Steward was injured almost 22 years ago in the Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia.

ISG has a job placement program in place to ensure that all of the participants are employed after they complete their training, said Maria Thompson, DIT’s chief risk officer. Employers will gain well-trained, reliable, and dedicated workers in cybersecurity, a field that does not yet have enough qualified workers, and veterans receive training and expertise in a rising and lucrative IT field. Veterans are comfortable with changing environments and learning new things, Thompson said. They have been trained to protect, they have already proven themselves able to work hard with high integrity, and they are adept at working on teams.

“All of those things are things that you need in cybersecurity,” says Tony Marshall, ISG’s president and chief executive officer.

DIT Secretary and State Chief Information Officer Eric Boyette said he and the department will work to bring more veterans into the program. The department intends to ask the General Assembly in the coming legislative session for support to double the size of the next apprentice class.

“It’s great to be able to offer these positions to these individuals, and watch them grow, watch them succeed, watch them teach others, watch them learn, and just be able to be supportive,” Boyette said. “This initiative really needs to grow … and we are going to figure out ways to make it grow.”

For an inside look at the program and to hear from participants, visit: https://youtu.be/fmVfifI_JxQ

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