Visualizing Connectivity in North Carolina

At the beginning of 2019, our Community Broadband Networks team visited North Carolina as part of the Let’s Connect speaking tour. While preparing for the trip and after returning to Minnesota, we researched and mapped Internet access and broadband funding in the state. Here’s what we found: While the Federal Communications Commission data shows that nearly all of urban NC has access to broadband and about 97 percent has access to higher speeds of 100 Mbps/10 Mbps, more than 15 percent of rural North Carolina is entirely without broadband and more than 24 percent lacks access to speeds of 100 Mbps/10 Mbps. However, far more North Carolinians don't have Internet access than the FCC says, particularly in rural communities. 

As the federal government continues to waste money subsidizing outdated and inadequate networks operated by national telecom companies, rural cooperatives and local governments may be many North Carolinians last hope for better connectivity. The North Carolina General Assembly should ensure they aren't prevented from bringing high-quality broadband access to their communities.