04/06/10
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Donation to improve broadband access, create jobs
The Golden LEAF Foundation recently announced that it has donated $24 million to an initiative that will provide broadband access to an additional 69 counties in North Carolina.
Sixty-seven of the 69 counties that will receive improved service do not currently have access to reliable broadband internet. The move is part of North Carolina's application to receive funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
“The expansion of broadband access in rural counties is critical to jobs, economic investment, education and communications,” North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue told the Charlotte Business Journal. “The Golden Leaf Foundation has provided the critical matching dollars which will make this project possible. More than 1,000 jobs are associated with just the installation and creation of the network, and the lasting benefits to homes, schools and businesses will be significant.”
The Gold LEAF Foundation is an organization that uses funds generated by the tobacco industry, which provides work to most communities in North Carolina, to pay for programs throughout the state. Founded in 1999, it has administered more than $400 million in grants since its inception.
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