BURGAW – Pender County internet surfers will be getting faster access thanks to a $21.6 million federal grant.
The United States Department of Agriculture announced the grant Friday for the county which is home to Surf City. Burgaw is the county seat.
It’s the second broadband grant from the USDAS announced in North Carolina in two days. On Thursday an award was made to Moore County.
“The need for rural broadband has never been more apparent than it is now – as our nation manages the coronavirus national emergency. Access to telehealth services, remote learning for school children, and remote business operations all require access to broadband,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue in a statement.
The grant calls for Atlantic Telephone Membership Corporation to “deploy a fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network to connect 17,424 people, 209 farms, 285 businesses, 19 educational facilities, nine health care facilities, seven fire stations, and seven post offices to high-speed broadband internet in Pender County.”
Feds provide $2.3M grant to expand broadband access in Moore County
