NorthState to bring FTTP to Orange County, NC, in public/private partnership

April 28, 2022

Broadband services provider NorthState says it has developed a public/private partnership with Orange County, NC, that will result in approximately 28,000 homes and businesses in the county being passed with fiber to the premises (FTTP). Nearly 10,000 locations covered in the partnership current have little or no internet service, according to NorthState.

Orange County will use American Rescue Plan Act funds to support deployment of FTTP to the approximately 10,000 addresses in unserved and underserved areas referenced above. NorthState will use its own funds to reach another 18,000 Orange County homes and businesses. NorthState also will provide fiber internet service to approximately two dozen county-owned anchor institutions, including fire stations and EMS and community centers.

NorthState expects to begin deployment work in the next few weeks and plans to install approximately 990 miles of fiber within Orange County. Service availability in some areas should begin in Spring 2023. The company says it will offer internet at rates up to 2-Gbps symmetric.

“We thank the Orange County Board of Commissioners for selecting NorthState for this crucial community project to help close the digital divide. For those in Orange County who currently have little or no access to fiber internet, this project will be life changing. It’s simply the fastest internet available,” NorthState CEO Diego Anderson said. “NorthState and Orange County are jointly making large investments in Orange County by installing a fiber-optic network that is future-proof, one that will fuel continuing growth and expanded economic opportunities.”

“Improving access to high-speed internet to all areas of the county is a priority for the Board of Commissioners, and we are excited to begin this project using $10 million of the county’s American Rescue Plan Act funding,” added Orange County Commissioner Sally Greene, who co-chaired the Orange County Broadband Task Force along with Commissioner Earl McKee. “Orange County is leading the way in crafting a solution to this problem that challenges so many counties."

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About the Author

Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave

Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.

Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.

He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, and more.

You can connect with Stephen on LinkedIn as well as Twitter.