As part of a statewide effort to address broadband access in unserved and underserved communities in North Carolina, Shinica Thomas, Vice Chair of the Wake County Board of Commissioners, joined the inaugural meeting of the Connecting Counties Task Force earlier this month.

Vice Chair Thomas is one of 15 commissioners and county staff members appointed to the task force who met to explore the complexities and opportunities for expanding broadband.

“Increasing access to high-speed internet is an important goal for our county commission, because we know – especially in this age of hybrid and remote working – that having a reliable internet connection can be vital to earning an income,” said Vice Chair Thomas. “By partnering with other counties, we can share ideas and leverage our individual successes to generate a positive collective impact statewide.”

Task force members heard a presentation on the history of broadband connectivity across the state by North Carolina Association of County Commissioners staff. They also received a briefing from the N.C. Department of Information Technology on the current state of broadband. NCDIT is developing new opportunities to make high-speed internet connectivity a reality for those with barriers to access.

The Connecting Counties Task Force represents 15 counties from across the state, all dealing with unique challenges in securing access to broadband. The task force will meet regularly to make progress on this initiative. For more information, visit this webpage.