Wake County, N.C. – As part of a statewide effort to address broadband access in unserved and under-served communities in North Carolina, the Connecting Counties Task Force met on February 22 in Wake County. The task force, led by NCACC President and Washington County Commissioner Tracey Johnson, met to engage with experts in broadband access to develop resources to share with counties.
Task force members heard presentations from experts at the NC Department of Information Technology (NCDIT) on standards for broadband service, digital equity grant opportunities for counties, and building digital literacy skills for North Carolinians.
In the briefing, NCDIT Deputy Secretary for Broadband and Digital Equity Nate Denny and department staff addressed county highlights, including reviewing best practices from case studies of counties with strong digital inclusion plans.
Additionally, task force members met with Brian Gregory and Joe Prater of Charter Communications, as the group discussed using funding opportunities to provide more affordable access for county residents and the importance of effective communication between county commissioners and providers to maximize speed and connectivity.
“The Connecting Counties task force members and I have learned a lot from subject matter experts about overcoming the barriers to expanding broadband in North Carolina. We are excited to continue building provider relationships and sharing our knowledge with counties. Effective communication is key between providers, commissioners, and county residents,” said President Johnson.
The task force will continue its work advocating for expanding broadband access with a goal of developing resources for counties such as a broadband playbook and toolkit to meet their communities’ distinct needs. The group will reconvene for its next meeting in April 2023.
For more information on the initiative and the work of the task force, visit www.ncacc.org/connectingcounties.
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Editors: Print quality photos may be downloaded for use here. Photos should be credited as follows: Photo courtesy of NCACC.
