Citizens in Rural NC Feel Left Behind With Digital Divide

While Internet access has increased over time across the board, both Randolph and Alamance (NC) counties are still below the national average when it comes to the percentage of households with Internet access. Most of the areas lacking service are the more rural neighborhoods in the northern and southern ends of each county. A number of local initiatives have been developed to try and increase broadband access in the area, most prominently projects to increase hotspot availability where infrastructure is lacking. Alamance County is working on several grant programs to increase hotspot coverage and work with private Internet service provider companies to expand access, and many organizations in Randolph County have created Wi-Fi zones to help serve people during the pandemic. In Alamance, the county turned on public Wi-Fi at many of their buildings to help broaden access. Both Randolph and Alamance counties also participate in their own county-level Digital Inclusion Alliances, which bring together several partner agencies including the municipalities, school systems, nonprofit organizations, the Piedmont Triad Regional Council, county departments and more. But until more incentives or grant funding are secured, hundreds of residents, especially those in the most rural areas, are still without Internet access.