CarolinaLink

Congratulations to the eight students from CarolinaLink member companies who were awarded a scholarship through the Foundation for Rural Service! We wish you all the best in your future endeavors! FOCUS Broadband, Randolph Communications, Surry Communications, SkyLine / SkyBest, Zirrus

Congratulations to CarolinaLink member FOCUS Broadband on the opening of their new Burgaw retail location! In attendance of the ribbon cutting ceremony was Star Communications CEO Donna Bullard and the Executive Director of the Cooperative Council of North Carolina Sara Coats. We're proud to see our members supporting each other and we're excited to see FOCUS Broadband's growth in Pender County!

CarolinaLink member FOCUS Broadband's CEO Keith Holden recently participated on an infrastructure panel at the Rural Communities in Action event hosted by the White House. On the panel, Holden shared how broadband grant funding has made a difference in the lives of many North Carolinians and helped FOCUS Broadband in their mission to bring high-speed internet to rural, underserved communities. Holden also discussed the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and how it played a key role in helping Americans stay connected. Thank you for continuing to advocate for rural broadband in North Carolina and in rural America!

CarolinaLink was proud to be a bronze sponsor for the NC Chamber's Building NC event, with representatives from CarolinaLink and FOCUS Broadband happy to attend! It was great to learn more about the economic and population growth in North Carolina and how necessities, such as reliable broadband, play a critical role in our state's growth. #ruralbroadband #northcarolina #ncchamber

Representatives from Surry Communications, RiverStreet Networks, SkyLine/SkyBest, FOCUS Broadband and Randolph Communications attended the NC Rural Center's 2024 Rural Summit in Raleigh to learn more about the impacts of high-speed internet in rural communities and how providers can help connect these rural communities to a multitude of opportunities, such as participating in telehealth. It's great to see our Co-ops together and continuing to advocate for rural broadband in North Carolina!

USDA Rural Development invests $24.9 million in Star Communications #InternetAccess #ruraldevelopment https://lnkd.in/e6JwSCSc

This past August, co-op member Star Communications received a $24.9 million ReConnect Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to bring high-speed internet to more areas in Bladen, Columbus and Sampson counties. Keep up the great work!

CarolinaLink members, Surry Communications and Wilkes Communications, Inc. (RiverStreet Networks), were recently named as recipients of the N.C. Department of Information Technology's Completing Access to Broadband (CAB) program awards to help bring high-speed Internet to more areas in Stokes and Wilkes counties! The CAB Program complements the state's Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) Grant program to help reach additional unserved areas in North Carolina. Congratulations to both Surry Communications and Wilkes Communications and thank you for your work in helping bring high-speed Internet to more underserved and unserved areas in North Carolina! #ruralbroadband #nc

Congratulations Nate Denny! Thank you and the NCDIT Division of Broadband and Digital Equity for your work with the state’s high-speed internet infrastructure funding programs.

Congratulations to CarolinaLink member Star Communications on receiving a $24.9 million ReConnect Grant through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's ReConnect Program! The grant will allow Star Communications to bring fiber optic Internet to approximately 2,674 residents, 84 businesses, 117 farms and four educational facilities in Bladen, Columbus and Sampson counties. Great job Star Communications on working to bring high-speed Internet to more rural communities in North Carolina! #ruralbroadband #carolinalink #reconnectprogram #ruralnc #columbuscountync #sampsoncountync #bladencountync