USDA ReConnect Program

The US Department of Agriculture’s ReConnect program is used to build infrastructure for essential connectivity services to rural areas without sufficient access to broadband, through loans and grants. The first two rounds were held in 2019 and 2020, and in those years CarolinaLink members collectively won almost $58 million in federal grant dollars and made an additional $24.6 million in matching investments. CarolinaLink members have applied for a total of $89 million in grants funds for the 2022 ReConnect program.

FOCUS Broadband – Robeson County and Scotland County 2022

168Total square miles

4,801Funded Service Area Households

$24,664,687 Award Amount

This Rural Development investment will provide FOCUS Broadband with $24.6 million in funding to build a 100% fiber optic network capable of delivering 1 Gigabit broadband speeds past 4,801 households, 198 business, 166 farms and 18 education institutions. This project will positively impact the lives of over 13,972 residents in Robeson and Scotland counties.

FOCUS Broadband - Faster Pender 2020

538Total square miles

6,853Funded Service Area Households

$21,681,087 Award Amount

This Rural Development investment will provide FOCUS Broadband with $21.6 million in funding to build a 100% fiber optic network capable of delivering 1 Gigabit broadband speeds past 6,853 households, 285 businesses, 15 essential community facilities, 19 educational institutions and nine healthcare facilities. FOCUS Broadband will provide an additional $7.2 million in funding to bring the total project cost to $28.9 million. This project will positively impact the lives of over 17,000 Pender County residents.

Zirrus - Davie, Yadkin and Iredell Counties 2020

70Total square miles

653Funded Service Area Households

$2,300,000 Award Amount

This Rural Development investment will provide Zirrus with $2.3 million in funding to build a 100% fiber optic network capable of delivering 1 Gigabit broadband speeds past 653 households, 67 agricultural operations and 18 businesses. Zirrus will provide additional funding to bring the total cost to over $3 million.

Randolph Communications- Moore County 2020

48Total square miles

1,300Funded Service Area Households

$2,300,000 Award Amount

This Rural Development investment will provide Randolph Communications with $2.3 million in funding to build a 100% fiber optic network cable of delivering 1 Gigabit broadband speeds past 1,300 households, 18 businesses, 9 educational institutions and over 17 agricultural operations. Randolph Communications will provide an additional $767,000 in funding to bring the total project cost to over 3 million.

Star Telephone Membership Corporation - Bladen and Sampson Counties 2019

739Total square miles

8,797Funded Service Area Households

$23,726,478 Award Amount

This Rural Development investment will provide Star Telephone Membership Corporation with the opportunity to use $23,726,478 received in ReConnect Program grant funding to build a gigabit-capable passive optical network (GPON) which will be 100% buried fiber-to-the-home network. The funded service areas include 8,797 households, 10 educational facilities, and 3 critical community facilities spread over 739 square miles. For the total project, STAR TMC will build over 535 miles of buried plant to serve 3,570 locations while passing 4,462 possible service locations consisting of farms, businesses, residential, and critical community institutions.

FOCUS Broadband - Faster Columbus 2019

155Total square miles

4,057Funded Service Area Households

$7,934,762* Award Amount

This Rural Development investment will provide FOCUS Broadband with the opportunity to use $7,934,762 received in ReConnect Program funding to build fiber optic broadband in unserved and underserved rural areas of Columbus County, North Carolina. FOCUS Broadband will provide matching funds of $7,934,762 to complete the project. The service areas include 4,057 households, 15 educational facilities, three health care centers, and 10 critical community facilities spread over 155 square miles.
* The total project cost is $15,869,524. FOCUS Broadband substituted the 50% loan amount with matching funds of $7,934,762.

Star Communications - Bladen, Columbus and Sampson Counties 2023

185.4Total square miles

2,674Funded Service Area Households

$24,914,096* Award Amount

This Rural Development investment will provide Star Communications with $24.9 million in funding to construct a 100% fiber optic network capable of delivering gigabit broadband speeds past 2,674 households, 84 businesses, 117 farms, and four educational facilities in Bladen, Columbus and Sampson counties.