Collaborative Broadband Initiative

The NC Rural Center has long recognized the importance of reliable, affordable high-speed internet access to the success of rural communities.

Our commitment to expanding broadband access dates to 2003 with the creation of the e-NC Authority, a statewide initiative dedicated to promoting and supporting broadband infrastructure development.¹ Since then, the Rural Center has continued to champion broadband expansion through policy leadership, community engagement, and support for state-funded grant programs.

Most recently, the Rural Center launched the Collaborative Broadband Initiative in 2022 with support from Dogwood Health Trust, the U.S. Economic Development Administration, and The Anonymous Trust.

This report highlights the Collaborative Broadband Initiative and its success after several years of focused effort helping communities expand broadband access and narrow the digital divide.

The CBI could not — and did not — undertake this work alone. Success has depended on strong partnerships among local leaders, nonprofit organizations, internet service providers, and community advocates across North Carolina, who were guided by the leadership of the North Carolina Department of Information Technology Division of Broadband and Digital Opportunity.

Broadband availability and subscription uptake rates in many rural communities continue to lag those in urban areas, largely because the cost of deploying broadband infrastructure across sparsely populated regions remains high. In 2025, 103,760 North Carolina households still lacked broadband access, according to an estimate provided by the state.²

Resources are still being invested across the country to connect millions of unserved and underserved homes and businesses in what has often been described as a once-in-a-generation opportunity. The Rural Center has committed to continuing to support broadband expansion, digital literacy, and regional solutions until all of rural North Carolina is fairly served.