Duplin County, NC – FOCUS Broadband has completed its third broadband expansion project in Duplin County, bringing high-speed internet access to more rural communities in the southeastern region. Residents and businesses in Beulaville, Chinquapin, and Maple Hill can now sign up for broadband with speeds up to 5Gig, delivered over FOCUS Broadband’s 100% fiber-optic network.

This project was made possible through a $3.8 million Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) Grant, awarded by the North Carolina Department of Information Technology (NCDIT) in 2022. FOCUS Broadband contributed an additional $535,755 in matching funds, with Duplin County also providing additional funds, to support the project’s construction.

“We are happy to bring our fiber optic services to Chinquapin, Beulaville and the surrounding communities,” commented FOCUS Broadband CEO, Keith Holden. “Thanks to this project, families and businesses now have access to fast, reliable internet that supports remote work, education, telehealth, and economic growth. We thank NCDIT for awarding this grant and for supporting broadband expansion projects that are making a positive impact in rural southeastern North Carolina.”

This marks the third GREAT Grant project FOCUS Broadband has successfully completed in Duplin County. In 2023, the company finished two other projects that brought high-speed internet services to areas of Rose Hill, Teachey and Magnolia. Thanks to these efforts, more than 2,000 rural addresses in Duplin County now have access to reliable fiber optic internet.

With 70 years of serving rural communities, FOCUS Broadband has established itself as a leader in broadband expansion across eastern North Carolina. Since 2019, the company has secured more than $120 million in state and federal broadband funding, extending high-speed internet access to over 25,000 homes and businesses in Brunswick, Columbus, Robeson, Duplin, Pender, Hoke, Bladen, Chowan and Perquimans counties.

To find out where FOCUS Broadband currently has high-speed internet service available in Duplin County, residents and businesses can call 833-981-4152 or visit www.FasterDuplin.com.