Editor’s note: On the final day of the 12 Days of Broadband, we highlight one of the biggest broadband stories of the year for North Carolina with the completion of the $144 million Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative.

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – From alligators, bears and superstorms, to mountains, trains, tourists and water (not to mention an incredible engineering challenge and achievement), one of the biggest broadband stories of the year for North Carolina is the completion of the $144 million Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative (GLRBI).

In 2007, North Carolina’s public broadband infrastructure known as the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN) consisted of 72 endpoints and about 200 miles of fiber. Of the state’s 115 public school districts, less than 10 had access to NCREN and the educational resources on it. In February 2010, MCNC embarked on a massive statewide expansion of the network aimed to deliver affordable high-speed broadband to more than 1,500 community anchor institutions; and through private-sector service providers, potentially reach 180,000 businesses and more than 300,000 underserved families in 82 mainly rural counties in North Carolina.

MCNC, the non-profit operator of NCREN, announced the completion of this ambitious project in August and held a celebration from four locations in the state (the National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, UNC Charlotte, Elizabeth City State University, and the MCNC campus in Research Triangle Park), showcasing the expanded capabilities NCREN.

The GLRBI was funded through grants from U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) with significant matching funds from private donations and investments including $24 million from the Golden LEAF Foundation and $10 million from the MCNC Endowment. No state funds were utilized as matching funds for the MCNC awards.

Due to added investments from MCNC, more than 100 percent of the project grant value was expended with private-sector companies doing engineering, outside plant equipment, optical gear and construction, all of which were based in North Carolina or had a significant presence in the state.

U.S. Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC) said broadband access is crucial for economic development, access to education, and for quality health care for families in rural communities. North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory called this project “a tremendous success” for North Carolina. U.S. Representative Renee Ellmers (R-NC) said the GLRBI is a “success story” for North Carolina. U.S. Representative David Price (D-NC) added that this project is another example of how strong public-private partnerships give North Carolina an advantage over other states. U.S. Representative G. K. Butterfield (D-NC) called it an “historic investment” for rural areas of the state. The list goes on…

Since the 1990s, it’s been apparent that the availability of broadband infrastructure would be a key component of economic vitality, particularly in rural areas of North Carolina. The GLRBI provides a speed-of-light path to the future for communities across the state. And, this historic project already is having a positive impact on student learning, patient outcomes in health care, and is accelerating innovation and research all across North Carolina.

Today, NCREN serves more than 450 connectors, including all K-20 public education in North Carolina; many private education institutions and charter schools; most of the state’s leading research institutions; other government, judicial and public safety customers; and more than 120 health care providers – including non-profit hospitals and public health clinics. MCNC’s role in the GLRBI also involves leading discussions with economic developers and private-sector broadband service providers to use the GLRBI fiber to improve broadband access and grow jobs in North Carolina.

NCREN is now a fiber-based network that is more than 2,600 miles spanning the entire state. The first phase of the project was completed in April 2012 with 957 total operated miles (442 of which were new construction). The second phase completed in August was much larger with total operated miles at 1,696 (1,300 of being new). North Carolina now is one of just a handful of states with an open access, middle-mile fiber network available to economic developers, businesses, and broadband service providers.

“During the last three years, we have been fortunate to have great support from our vendor partners and a very talented internal staff to complete this project on time,” said Tommy Jacobson, MCNC Chief Operating Officer and NCREN Chief Architect. “In addition, the State of North Carolina and its agencies, particularly NCDOT and NCDENR as well as the North Carolina Congressional Delegation, General Assembly and the Office of the Governor, have been great assets to help us complete this historic work.”

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 appropriated $7.2 billion to broadband investments. The ARRA directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s NTIA to expand broadband access to unserved and underserved communities, increase jobs, spur investments in technology and infrastructure, and provide long-term economic benefits. The RUS was able to further fund the Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) while the NTIA created the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP).

North Carolina is increasingly reliant on technology and leading-edge broadband infrastructure, and just about every sector in the state will benefit from this investment. These upgrades and the expansion of NCREN will help ensure that North Carolina will have the digital infrastructure required to scale to future needs.

“We are very proud of this work, and we already have so many great examples of success from this project. But, this is a marathon, and we are only in the first mile,” said Joe Freddoso, MCNC President and CEO. “MCNC will continue to partner and follow its public benefit mission to help grow the broadband business in North Carolina and to enable our citizens to have access where they learn, where they work, where they receive health care, and where they live. We have constructed the infrastructure to help do just that throughout North Carolina.”

We hope you enjoyed this year’s 12 Days of Broadband.