N.C. Group Applies for $28.1 Million in Stimulus Funds

North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue has announced that MCNC has applied to receive $28.1 million in broadband recovery funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. MCNC’s application, submitted Aug. 17, was coordinated through the N. C. Office of Economic Recovery & Investment and endorsed by the entire North Carolina delegation to the United States Congress.

MCNC is an independent, non-profit organization employing advanced networking technologies to improve North Carolina’s K-12 school districts, higher education campuses and academic research institutions.  If approved, MCNC will use the funds to build a network of more than 600 miles of new middle-mile fiber. Underserved citizens will be reached through commercial telecommunications and cable providers with whom MCNC has formed partnerships. The middle-mile is the sector of the network that connects last-mile facilities such as telecom company local interconnection points (central offices) with the commercial Internet and with national and global advanced research networks.