Federal grant will help HarvestBeam expand, improve service, official said

GRIFTON — A $199,000 federal grant will help HarvesBeam improve broadband service in Grifton and surrounding communities, the internet provider said during the March Board of Commissioners meeting.

HarvestBeam’s Jessica Zufolo updated the board on March 12 about securing the competitive grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utility Service Broadband Technical Assistance Grant program.

HarvestBeam will use the funding to conduct an in-depth local market analysis on the availability and quality of internet access throughout Grifton and 12 more communities in six counties in eastern North Carolina, she said.

The award also will be used to distribute broadband coverage surveys and assemble focus groups among community members and leaders to identify the level of internet service availability and consumer experience with existing services in the communities.

Documenting the true level of access and connectivity among rural residents, businesses and farms is critical and will help ensure that the North Carolina State Broadband Office understands where affordable and reliable internet access service is needed in the area, Zufolo said.

This information also will help Grifton qualify for more federal and state broadband funding for local providers like HarvestBeam to expand their broadband network to serve more households and businesses in the community that are determined to be unserved and underserved, Zufolo said.

The money also will be used to document the lack of reliable and affordable internet access on farms, she said. HarvestBeam will hire students from community colleges and East Carolina University to develop and conduct broadband surveys, host community focus groups and accomplish field research in coordination with local, area and state USDA Rural Development Officials.

The award also supports financial modeling, network engineering and broadband mapping needed for future broadband deployment grant programs, Zufolo said, adding U.S. Rep. Don Davis and USDA Secretary Thomas J. Vilsack were instrumental in securing the funds.

“Families throughout Grifton will benefit from the project as their voices will finally be heard, which is a big step toward attracting more technology investment for reliable and affordable internet service in our town,” Zufolo said.