Lee County announced its first Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) grant award through the North Carolina Department of Information Technology.

NCDIT announced August 31 that Spectrum Southeast, LLC (Charter Communications dba Spectrum) proved to provide the citizens of Lee County with the best plan to expand broadband infrastructure. This $3.7 million project expects to serve 971 total locations once the project is completed.

The map above shows where Spectrum anticipates expanding broadband within Lee County. The county said in a press release it “looks forward to building a long-lasting partnership with Spectrum and bringing broadband to our unserved locations.”

The press release also quoted Governor Roy Cooper saying “expanding broadband will allow our citizens to take advantage of opportunities to learn, work, access health care, and connect to the world.”

“Lee County has long held a spirit of innovation, and as work and learning move increasingly online, an internet connection is critical to that pioneering drive,” said Lee County Board of Commissioners Chairman Kirk Smith. “We look forward to partnering with Spectrum and the state to expand high-speed broadband access to nearly a thousand homes and small businesses across the county that currently lacks connectivity.”