Posted May 24, 2019
More high-speed Internet service is coming to much-needed areas of rural North Carolina because of two state grants totaling $415,000 to Eastern Carolina Broadband of Pink Hill.
The company will contribute $221,000 to complete $636,000 in total project monies for Lenoir and Jones counties. ECB provides Internet services to rural and underserved areas of Lenoir, Jones and Duplin counties. The grants are through the North Carolina Department of Information Technology's Broadband Infrastructure Office.
The grants will cover 65 percent of projects for Lenoir and Jones counties.
A $135,201 grant will allow the company to deploy services to about 319 more households, businesses, agricultural operations and anchor institutions in Lenoir County. ECB's share is $72,000. A $279,901 grant will apply in the same way for about 569 Jones County customers, with ECB putting in $150,000.