Collaborative Broadband
Broadband in every corner of North Carolina
Collaborative Broadband, a project of the NC Rural Center, works with government officials as a regional broadband initiative. We are committed to universal last-mile broadband service in our state’s rural counties, and through this project we help rural governments create a locally driven process for broadband access and adoption. This work is done through action teams with the goal of making broadband accessible in every corner of North Carolina.
Collaborative Broadband serves several roles
As an aggregator of information and data, a convener of key stakeholders and partners, a recruiter of interested Internet Service Providers (ISP), a facilitator of negotiations between ISPs and local governments to ensure accountability, and a coordinator of applications to key federal and state funding agencies. We work on behalf of local and regional governments and nonprofits and represent their goal of universal service for their citizens. The NC Rural Center is partnering with Broadband consultants focused on a 33-county region located in Northeastern and Western North Carolina, two of the least connected rural regions of our state.
In Northeastern North Carolina, the following counties received assistance:
- Bertie
- Camden
- Chowan
- Currituck
- Dare
- Gates
- Halifax
- Hertford
- Hyde
- Martin
- Northampton
- Pasquotank
- Perquimans
- Tyrrell
- Washington
In Western North Carolina, the following counties are receiving assistance:
- Avery
- Buncombe
- Burke
- Cherokee
- Clay
- Graham
- Haywood
- Henderson
- Jackson
- Macon
- Madison
- McDowell
- Mitchell
- Polk
- Rutherford
- Swain
- Transylvania
- Yancey
- Qualla Boundary
Free Downloadable Broadband Data
As part of its broadband advocacy work, the NC Rural Center is providing location data for Broadband Serviceable Locations and the number of units within each location for multi-family addresses.
We provide this data free of charge to support grant applications and funding requests to expand broadband infrastructure. The data, from Broadband Catalysts, is comprised entirely of public data that can be used without a license, permission, or any restrictions, and is current as of July 15, 2025. An ArcGIS version is included in the download.
We hope that internet service providers, local governments, and others seeking to close the digital divide will find this information helpful.
Broadband Provider Map
Additionally, Broadband Catalysts has created a Broadband Provider Map displaying a comprehensive list of broadband providers in Western North Carolina.
The map is searchable by address using a Geocoder.
As part of the FCC’s Broadband Data Collection, the FCC has contracted CostQuest to create and maintain a fabric of location data (addresses, latitude and longitude, location type, units, etc.) for the United States. This data set is not public and CostQuest provides a suite of licenses that restrict what licensees are able to do with the data. The North Carolina Rural Center has obtained a Tier 4 Research license for the CostQuest Fabric, and the research outlined below has been performed within the terms of this license agreement.
The CostQuest Fabric data presents Broadband Serviceable Locations (BSLs) and the number of units within each BSL as separate fields. This separation can potentially leave communities and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) with an incomplete understanding of the business case for broadband deployment. Our objective is to aggregate this data at the H3 resolution 7 level, which is the most granular unit the Tier 4 Research license allows, providing a more comprehensive picture of the potential need and business case in each location.
For instance, consider an apartment building that is recorded as a single BSL. If that building contains 50 units, it represents 50 potential customers in need of service. This significantly enhances the attractiveness of the location to ISPs, thereby increasing the likelihood of reliable, affordable, and competitive broadband service being offered.
Furthermore, the breakdown of units by building type is crucial. A high concentration of enterprise, business, or mixed-use units indicates a substantial number of potential business customers. These customers are particularly appealing to ISPs, as they typically pay significantly higher rates—often up to 10 times more than residential customers—for broadband connections.
Conversely, a high number of residential units relative to BSLs may suggest the presence of multi-dwelling units, indicating many potential residential customers. This insight can guide ISPs in targeting their services more effectively, ensuring that they meet the needs of both residential and business customers in the area.
Additionally, the findings from this analysis can be leveraged to support grant applications and funding requests aimed at expanding broadband infrastructure. By presenting data-driven evidence of service gaps and community needs, stakeholders can strengthen their case for financial support from government agencies and private organizations.
Finally, as projects evolve and datasets are updated, the methodologies and data generated through this analysis can serve as a foundation for future research efforts. Establishing a baseline understanding of broadband access will allow subsequent studies to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions and track progress over time, ultimately contributing to a more connected and equitable broadband landscape.
The data provided by the North Carolina Rural Center’s Collaborative Broadband Initiative on this page is comprised entirely of public data that can be used without a license, permission, or any restrictions.
Data current as of April 25, 2025
IMPACT STORY
Broadband Initiative Pushes Service Down Country Roads
“I started hearing the horror stories about the school kids on school buses with hotspots, and they had to go to the library, and they didn’t have transportation to get to the library with the hotspots. And it just snowballed.”
Dr. Althea Riddick, Gates County commissioner
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