County OKs funds for broadband expansion

Cinde Ingram, The High Point Enterprise, N.C.
·3 min read

Apr. 22—HIGH POINT — The Guilford County Board of Commissioners reviewed results of a broadband survey that revealed nearly half the county population has needs for high-speed internet and voted unanimously Thursday to spend some of its American Rescue Plan Act money to support telecommunications.

At a meeting held in High Point, the board approved allocating $1.1 million of ARPA funds to support three telecommunication companies' grant applications for NC Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology grants. Up to $1 million will be directed toward AT&T's request and up to $50,000 toward BrightSpeed, with the contingent the companies win state grants to expand broadband service in the county.

The action follows the board's allocation last month of up to $50,000 in ARPA funds to support High Point-based North State Communications' application for an NC GREAT grant.

As of Thursday morning, more than 800 residents had responded to the N.C broadband survey and speed test, said Assistant County Manager Jason Jones. The survey found 49% of the population (about 260,000 people) have needs related to availability, affordability or use of broadband service. Survey respondents said the pandemic revealed how essential high-speed internet is for remote education, work, economic development, health care and connectivity, Jones said.

County Manager Michael Halford reviewed some of the other ARPA spending ideas it has received. Guilford County will receive $104 million in ARPA funds, but the ideas total more than $300 million.

"It's clearly more than we have available," Halford said. "We're looking for feedback on the level of transformational and generational impact."

The county has yet to receive requests from municipalities, Halford said. About $15 million of the spending ideas involve healthy childhood environments, about $50 million involve integrated data and navigation systems for housing and service delivery while others fall into clusters like access to health care, Halford said.

The county has to make commitments by the end of 2024 for how to spend the ARPA money, which is to be spent by the end of 2026.

Carlvena Foster, who chaired the meeting, asked whether the request for proposals drew many from High Point residents. Halford said the county did not receive as many requests from High Point and that he has communicated with City Manager Tasha Logan Ford about needs.

"We want to make sure we're serving all Guilford County residents," Halford said.

The board also unanimously approved accepting more than $447,000 from the Department of Treasury for the Emergency Rental and Utility Assistance program to help households that were unable to pay rent or utilities because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The additional money increases the federal ERA to more than $7.7 million, and the combined federal and state ERA funding to more than $29.2 million. The original ERA allocation was more than $7.25 million, with up to 10% usable for administrative expenses.

Guilford County had applied for the additional ERA funds after learning of other counties that did not use all of their allocations, said Sharon Barlow, director of the department of social services.

The additional funds will be used entirely for assistance payments with none being reserved for administrative costs, Barlow said. The county DSS estimates the funds will cover about 105 applications.

cingram@hpenews.com — 336-888-3534 — @HPEcinde