A Raleigh telecommunications engineering firm has been awarded a contract to design a 500-mile broadband network in rural counties in North Carolina.
ONUG Communications will design the network for MCNC, a nonprofit created by the N.C. General Assembly more than a quarter-century ago to wire the state's public schools.
The money for the contract will come from a $28.2 million federal stimulus grant MCNC received from the U.S. Department of Commerce.
The new broadband infrastructure to be developed by ONUG will expand the capacity of the existing N.C. Research and Education Network, which provides Internet and Intranet services to nearly all the state's 3 million students in kindergarten through university level.
MCNC estimates the project will add up to 1,000 temporary positions and about a dozen permanent jobs. In addition, ONUG plans to fill 10 temporary jobs and three long-term positions.
MCNC will be awarding other contracts for the project this year.
MCNC is also applying for $78 million in federal grants to further expand broadband infrastructure in the state.
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