Raleigh, NC – FOCUS Broadband customers Edward and Emma Smith of Tar Heel were invited to Raleigh this past Thursday to speak with White House and other governmental officials about the positive impacts of having high-speed internet brought to their community. Edward Smith, a retired US Army veteran, gave opening remarks at the event and introduced the President.

“It was an honor to be there in Raleigh and to represent my town of Tar Heel,” said Edward Smith. “If I can help put an emphasis on the importance of having high-speed internet brought to small communities like Tar Heel, then I’m happy to share my story with others.”

In 2022, FOCUS Broadband was awarded a $2.9 million Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) Grant from the North Carolina Department of Information Technology (NCDIT) to expand fiber optic broadband service to more than 727 homes and businesses in Bladen County near Tar Heel and along Highway 701. FOCUS Broadband contributed $307,989 and Bladen County contributed $216,225 in matching funds to the project.

“Before we got high-speed internet, I was doing a lot of paperwork to receive my VA benefits through the mail or by driving to the library,” said Edward Smith in his opening remark. “Thanks to President Biden, and with support from the state, my family and my neighbors are now connected to high-speed internet. It really helps the kids when they are doing schoolwork, and I can email and download my VA paperwork, and talk to my doctor online instead of driving far away.”

Thanks to this project, many residents in the Tar Heel community and along Highway 701 between Clarkton and Elizabethtown can now enjoy the benefits of high-speed internet, including the ability to work remotely, engage in online learning, and participate in telehealth appointments. The final phases of the Faster Bladen project are expected to be completed in January, bringing fiber optic delivered gigabit broadband speeds to residents near Tobermory Road and Pages Lake Road outside of Tar Heel.

To see where service is currently available in Bladen County, please visit www.FasterBladen.com or call 888-367-2862 to speak with a FOCUS Broadband representative.