- In today's America, millions are still living without reliable internet access.

Lack of internet access is more than just an inconvenience, it's a barrier to health, employment, and economic opportunity.

And this digital divide isn't new, but it's more critical than ever.

But the challenge is complex.

It's a perfect storm of high costs, limited infrastructure, and a widespread lack of digital literacy across demographics.

So in a world where so many of us connect, work, and stream so easily, how is it that millions are still in digital darkness?

And what's being done about it?

I'm David Hurst.

This is "ncIMPACT."

[upbeat music] [grim music] About 15% of North Carolina does not have high-speed internet.

Look at this map.

Notice those red patches?

Those represent areas without reliable internet access.

In fact, 95% of North Carolinians without high-speed internet live in rural areas.

- Urban areas generally have locations where there is internet and wifi access.

But when you think about the rural areas, not only is there not the infrastructure in some pockets, there's also not, you know, businesses and locations where people can use free wifi.

- [David] The reason?

It's written in our landscape.

From our mountain peaks to our coastal plains, North Carolina's diverse geography makes laying fiber infrastructure both challenging and expensive.

For private internet companies, this creates a difficult business reality: spending millions to build infrastructure that might only serve a handful of customers.

The math, they say, simply doesn't work.

- And if you're not connected and you're not able to participate in that, it's a real disadvantage.

It's like a basic service.

It's becoming like water and electricity, you know, for people to connect.

- [David] This made me wonder, if internet is a basic service like water or electricity, why don't local governments just provide it themselves?

Well, because they can't.

In 2011, the North Carolina General Assembly passed what's called the Level Playing Field Bill.

The legislation effectively prevents North Carolina municipalities from creating their own broadband networks.

While a few cities like Wilson were grandfathered in, most communities face complex legal barriers that make municipal broadband nearly impossible.

As a result, many communities remain dependent on private internet providers.

But even in places where broadband is available, some North Carolinians face a different barrier: cost.

Until recently, help came through the Affordable Connectivity Program, offering $30 monthly discounts on internet bills.

More than 23 million American households depended on this assistance.

Here in North Carolina, over 900,000 families.

That's one in five households across our state.

But in May of 2024, that lifeline disappeared.

- So the biggest problem that people are having right now is finding a plan they can afford.

Because that one was like $30 a month, and it made it possible for everybody to have internet.

When that ended, most of the people didn't get internet back because they couldn't afford it.

- [David] Forsyth County sits at the crossroads of this twin challenge.

In its urban core, families struggle with affordability.

In its rural reaches, the issue is access itself.

Every day, this digital divide creates a tale of two communities: one that's connected, and one that's not.

- So much happens on the internet nowadays.

I mean, if you're trying to check your medical appointments or get lab results, if you wanna check in on your child's homework assignments, if you wanna look for and apply for a job, I mean, all these things are happening over the internet.

- [David] The pandemic pulled back the curtain on just how essential internet access has become, and it spurred Forsyth County into action.

The response was Digital Bridges Forsyth.

It's a coalition of nonprofit and public sector leaders determined to tackle this challenge head on.

By partnering with community technology centers, they created a network of internet access points.

And they did it in areas overlooked by commercial providers.

One of those places is the Rupert Bell Neighborhood Center.

- And so what we try to do is encourage them to utilize, you know, sites that have free internet access.

Winston has 25 computer labs where anyone in our community can go utilize those labs, utilize the internet, utilize the computers to do whatever they need to do.

- [David] But they quickly realized that providing internet access and making it affordable is only half the battle.

For people just coming online, you also have to make sure they know how to use it.

Get this: Nearly one in six working-age adults can't navigate the digital world effectively.

Digital literacy isn't just about knowing how to click a mouse or open a browser.

It's about giving people the tools to fully participate in a world that's online, where job applications, healthcare, education, and even basic services now require digital skills.

- So we had a lot of people on assembly lines.

And after some of those business shut down, a lot of those employees had to go searching for jobs.

And one thing is we don't have paper applications anymore.

And that is all digital.

And that was something new to them that would keep them from getting out there to be productive.

- And so creating a resume, a cover letter, they had never done- - Yes, all of those accessories are needed.

- that before.

- And like I say, just to fill out that application alone, it has to be digital.

- [David] So Forsyth County is repurposing under-utilized recreation centers into digital training hubs.

The county wants to train more than 1,000 people in essential digital skills.

The program covers a range of topics from basic computer and internet use to more advanced areas like cybersecurity and job-specific tech skills.

And when students complete their training, they also walk away with their own internet-enabled device, ready to put their skills to work.

- The people that are involved in this have hands-on in a lot of things that are going on in the city.

And it impresses me that they actually looked at this program, embraced it, and funded it.

- [David] But even as success stories emerge from these training hubs, a familiar challenge persists: affordability.

Remember that federal assistance that got cut?

Well, a different kind of opportunity may be taking shape.

The federal government has committed billions of dollars to flow into communities to build infrastructure and expand access.

Our state's share?

About $1.3 billion, with another 1.5 billion expected on the way.

And Forsyth County believes the right game plan helps them access more of those federal dollars.

- You have to have a coordinated strategy.

You know, you've gotta really think it through and have a detailed plan that you're gonna try to execute on.

That's important to develop the support that you need.

'Cause if you're gonna go out and look for funding, you have to explain to them what you're gonna do and how you're gonna do it.

- [David] And there's also promising news on the innovation front.

New wireless options like Starlink are emerging.

While still expensive today, as these services expand, costs should drop, potentially offering a more affordable solution for hard-to-reach areas than traditional fiber cables.

- There's gonna come a day where, you know, wireless capabilities will be to the point where, you know, maybe some of the costs of the infrastructure won't be so prohibitive, and we can really connect in everywhere in some wireless nature.

That's what we hope.

- [David] In the meantime, Forsyth County leaders aren't just standing by for tomorrow's solutions.

They're tackling today's challenges head on, 'cause the stakes couldn't be higher.

- In this day and age, you have to have internet.

If you do not, you will get left behind.

- [David] For "ncIMPACT," I'm David Hurst.