NC Research Campus to participate in statewide virtual groundbreaking | Events

KANNAPOLIS - The North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis will participate in MCNC’s Statewide Virtual Groundbreaking on August 12 to celebrate the start of construction on the second round of the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative that will greatly expand the reach and capacity of the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN).

Representatives from NCRC along with other state and federal leaders will gather between 10-11:30 a.m. at the David H. Murdock Core Laboratory Building, which is one of four sites in North Carolina hosting groundbreaking events.

The four sites (Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, Elizabeth City State University, UNC Pembroke, and NCRC) will host simultaneous events that will be linked over NCREN via high-definition video.

This event will help highlight how NCRC and others throughout the state will benefit from the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative.  

MCNC, a private non-profit organization, secured two grants through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) to fund the GLRBI.

The groundbreaking celebrates the start of the $104 million second phase that includes construction of 1,200 miles of broadband infrastructure through northeastern, north-central, northwestern, central, and south-central North Carolina. BTOP funds make up $75.75 million of the funding for Round 2, and MCNC raised $28.25 million privately, including $24 million from Golden LEAF Foundation. 

The event agenda is available online. Members of the media who wish to attend may register online.

NCRC's David H. Murdock Core Laboratory Building is located at 201 North Main Street.