NC H950

Establishes a County Broadband Deployment Fund with $25,000,000 in state funds to help counties expand broadband service to unserved and underserved households within one mile of existing infrastructure.

State funds cover 50% of approved broadband deployment project costs, with counties required to provide matching funds ranging from 0-50% based on development tier classification and fund balance levels.

Allows counties to conduct competitive bid processes with private broadband providers who must meet minimum requirements including FCC benchmarks, 99% network uptime, 10-year service commitment, and free service to county facilities.

Counties must prioritize bids offering 1 gigabyte per second symmetrical speeds within 48 months and projects providing higher broadband speeds to households.

Caps individual county awards at $2,000,000 and becomes effective July 1, 2021.