North Carolina aims to be a hotbed for innovation and technology, but the General Assembly has recently considered bills that would preempt local authority to build broadband infrastructure. Such preemption would cripple the most advanced broadband networks in the state. This new analysis shows that community owned networks are faster and cheaper than incumbent cable and telephone networks in North Carolina.
Past broadband discussions in the General Assembly focused on a bill to prevent communities from building their own networks — but communities are the only ones building citywide next-generation fiber-to-the-home networks in North Carolina. The best connections in the state are in the towns of Salisbury and Wilson because both built community fiber networks that offer much faster connections to residents and businesses at more affordable prices.
This analysis shows how much more value community fiber networks deliver than the traditional out-of-state incumbent cable and telephone companies.
Read ongoing stories about these networks at ILSR’s site devoted to Community Broadband Networks. You can also subscribe to a once-per-week email with stories about community broadband networks.
