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Star Communications and the USDA-RA Announce Community Connect Grant Funding

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Community Connect Grant Funding

Clinton, N.C., Dec 21, 2021 – Star Communications is bringing Fiber-to-the-Home and Business Services to the Coharie Exchange, in Sampson County, North Carolina. The area’s leading telecommunications provider continues to advance communities and extend their fiber footprint — Star Telephone Membership Corp. (dba: Star Communications), a growing telecommunications provider, has just been awarded a $2.3 million dollar USDA Community Connect Grant to assist Star with deploying fiber and broadband in the northern portion of their service territory. U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development State Director Reginald Speight announced USDA is investing $5.2 million to build and improve access to high-speed Internet rural infrastructure in North Carolina. The USDA grant will help to bring enhanced fiberdriven products and services including gigabit-Internet speeds to these communities.

The construction of the fiber-optic infrastructure will be underway soon with customers being turned up in phases. The project is scheduled for completion by 2024. “Fiber is no longer considered a desire, but a necessity. It helps advance communications, rural economic development and improves the lives of those that have access. That is why Star and its Board of Directors have intently focused on gaining access to grant funding to improve the lives of our members and residential customers can learn more at starcom.net.