FOCUS Broadband Expands High-Speed Internet in Pender County with Completion of NCDIT GREAT Grant Project
Burgaw, NC – FOCUS Broadband recently announced the completion of a state-funded broadband expansion project in Pender County, making high-speed internet available to approximately 1,330 addresses. With this project complete, residents in areas near Watha and outside of Burgaw can now benefit from fiber optic-delivered gigabit internet service, enhancing their ability to work remotely, access telehealth services, participate in online learning and more.
Funded through a $4 million Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) Grant awarded by the North Carolina Department of Information Technology in 2022, the project enabled FOCUS Broadband to construct a 100% fiber optic network capable of delivering broadband with gigabit speeds to areas in rural Pender County. Both FOCUS Broadband and Pender County contributed matching funds of $547,675 to the project.
In addition to this state-funded project, FOCUS Broadband is also nearing completion of its ReConnect project, which is bringing essential high-speed internet service to more than 5,000 addresses across Pender County. This project is supported by a $21 million ReConnect grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 2020, along with additional funding contributed by FOCUS Broadband. With many residents and businesses already connected thanks to this effort, construction is in the final stages and is anticipated to be complete by early 2026.
“Reliable high-speed internet access is essential for growth and opportunity, and we’re proud of the progress we’ve made to bring faster internet service to Pender County,” shared FOCUS Broadband CEO, Keith Holden. “I want to thank the NCDIT for its continued support of rural broadband expansion through its critical funding programs, which makes projects like this one possible. We also appreciate the Pender County representatives who have worked diligently with us for the past several years to identify the areas most in need of faster internet access and to help secure this crucial funding.”
This past summer, FOCUS Broadband was also awarded a Completing Access to Broadband (CAB) project by NCDIT to expand its fiber optic network to an additional 224 unserved addresses in Pender County. This CAB project is currently under construction, and completion is expected in early 2026.
To see where FOCUS Broadband services are currently available in Pender County, as well as where construction is ongoing, please visit www.getfocusbroadband.com/pendercounty, or call 888-367-2862.
In addition to this state-funded project, FOCUS Broadband is also nearing completion of its ReConnect project, which is bringing essential high-speed internet service to more than 5,000 addresses across Pender County. This project is supported by a $21 million ReConnect grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 2020, along with additional funding contributed by FOCUS Broadband. With many residents and businesses already connected thanks to this effort, construction is in the final stages and is anticipated to be complete by early 2026.
“Reliable high-speed internet access is essential for growth and opportunity, and we’re proud of the progress we’ve made to bring faster internet service to Pender County,” shared FOCUS Broadband CEO, Keith Holden. “I want to thank the NCDIT for its continued support of rural broadband expansion through its critical funding programs, which makes projects like this one possible. We also appreciate the Pender County representatives who have worked diligently with us for the past several years to identify the areas most in need of faster internet access and to help secure this crucial funding.”
This past summer, FOCUS Broadband was also awarded a Completing Access to Broadband (CAB) project by NCDIT to expand its fiber optic network to an additional 224 unserved addresses in Pender County. This CAB project is currently under construction, and completion is expected in early 2026.
To see where FOCUS Broadband services are currently available in Pender County, as well as where construction is ongoing, please visit www.getfocusbroadband.com/pendercounty, or call 888-367-2862.
