Charter to spend $442 million to boost broadband coverage

Charter Communications Inc, which provides internet service through its Spectrum brand, said it has spent $442 million to expand high-speed internet coverage to about 128,000 homes and small businesses that previously lacked broadband access, a significant portion of the roughly 200,000 homes in the state that lack broadband access.

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Fiber-optic broadband coverage has been extended to some rural areas in the United States (Image source: wraltechwire)

The FCC will provide $142 million as part of its Rural Digital Opportunity program. Charter already covers much of the state, including the Triangle and Charlotte.

About 5% of North Carolina households lack access to broadband, according to the North Carolina Broadband Infrastructure Office.

According to Charter's plan, its plan will cover 83 of the state's 100 counties, including 12 counties that the company currently does not serve, and 83% of the sites in the areas selected for the FCC plan. Service will be expanded to 67 rural counties. Spectrum noted that half of the sites to be reached are in 38 of the state's 40 "most economically distressed counties."