North Carolina Unveils Digital Equity Grant Program

North Carolina is launching the state’s first digital fairness grant program, designed to assist state residents afford high-speed web, receive digital gadgets, and entry digital literacy sources.

The $24 million, multi-phased program, administered by the state’s Division of Data Know-how’s Workplace of Digital Fairness and Literacy, will use federal American Rescue Plan Act funds for collaborative digital fairness tasks.

This system will make investments $10 million within the first section to assist 10-15 state authorities entities to develop or increase digital inclusion applications.

Candidates should be North Carolina state authorities entities. These embody: the North Carolina System or particular person colleges, universities, or facilities throughout the system; in addition to the N.C. Group Faculty System or particular person colleges, faculties or facilities throughout the system.

The 2-year, non-competitive grant funding program promotes collaborative partnerships. Every grant winner will obtain a most of $2 million for a undertaking that should be accomplished by the tip of 2024.

Functions from state authorities entities might be accepted via Oct. 28. Data classes for candidates might be held Oct. 4, Oct. 10 and Oct. 20.

“We wish extra North Carolinians to get the instruments and data they want to connect with high-speed web and to make use of it to rework their communities and their lives,” mentioned Gov. Roy Cooper in a ready assertion concerning the North Carolina digital fairness program. “This is a crucial step towards getting extra folks related on-line to allow them to work, be taught, entry telehealth and join with each other.”

That is the second announcement the state has made about broadband grants this month. Beforehand, state officers introduced grants of greater than $206 million in its Rising Rural Economies with Entry to Know-how (GREAT) grant program. In all, the grants will convey broadband entry to virtually 85,000 households and greater than 2,400 companies in 69 counties within the state.