N.C. Launches $50M Broadband Recovery Program for Counties Hit by Helene

WASHINGTON, November 4, 2025 – More than a year after Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina, Governor Josh Stein (D) announced Monday a $50 million recovery program to help internet service providers rebuild high-speed infrastructure destroyed by the storm.

The new program will provide grants to ISPs with projects in the 39 disaster-declared counties and within the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, prioritizing the restoration of broadband service for homes, businesses, and community institutions.

Helene caused tens of billions in damage and more than 175 deaths in North Carolina. High winds and floodwaters destroyed more than 1,700 miles of fiber optic cables, North Carolina’s Statewide Interoperability Coordinator Greg Hauser told federal officials in July.

Local analysts estimate that Helene caused more than $100 million in damage to communications systems, cutting service to roughly 200,000 households and businesses across the mountain region, according to research cited by the Land of Sky Regional Council and West NGN Broadband.

“We are working hard to rebuild western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene, and that includes making sure folks have access to high-speed internet services,” Stein said. “With these investments, western North Carolinians can stay connected and more easily get back on their feet.”

Priority under the state’s new program will go to restoring broadband networks to their pre-Helene condition. Projects that restore service at speeds of 100/20 megabits per second (Mbps) or higher will move to the front of the line. Limited support may also be available for middle-mile infrastructure, but only when existing routes were damaged and must be redesigned.

If funds remain after essential restorations, NCDIT’s Broadband Infrastructure Office may reimburse expenses related to hardening, redundancy, and resiliency improvements made during replacement or rebuilds.

This includes backup power systems, ring diversities, or undergrounding, as well as emergency temporary services such as wireless deployments, satellite connections, or Cells on Wheels used during the initial crisis.

The new program follows August legislation that set aside recovery dollars for Helene-hit communities. Applications are due Nov. 24.