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We realize that there will be many questions about the e-NC Authority as well as about the Internet itself. This section is designed to answer the most frequently asked of these questions. If you have a question that we have not addressed here, please Contact Us.
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What is e-NC?
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e-NC is a grassroots campaign to link all North Carolinians – especially those in rural areas – to the Internet.
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What is the relationship between the e-NC Authority and the N.C. Rural Economic Development Center Inc. (Rural Center)?
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The e-NC Authority is housed within the N.C. Rural Economic Development Center. The Rural Center provides fiscal oversight and staffing to the authority.
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How is the e-NC Authority funded?
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The Rural Internet Access Authority was funded through a combination of public and private funds. The initial donation to the effort, $30 million in funds, came from MCNC (formerly the Microelectronics Center of North Carolina), a North Carolina corporation that provides advanced electronic and information technologies to N.C. businesses, state and local governments and North Carolina’s education communities.
In August 2003, the authority was re-authorized and re-named the e-NC Authority. Funding is currently provided through the NC state legislature, federal grants and grants from private foundations.
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What is an Internet service provider (ISP)?
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Internet service providers allow individuals to access the Internet. They provide the connection from the computer to the Internet via telephone lines, cable lines, wireless or satellite connections. Monthly fees vary for this service.
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Does the e-NC Authority operate as an ISP?
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The e-NC Authority is not an Internet Service Provider. The Authority also cannot guarantee, recommend nor endorse any Internet Service Provider.
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What should I do if I am being charged long-distance rates by my Internet service provider?
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If you are still paying long distance charges to get on the Internet, you can choose to use a local Internet service provider to avoid paying these excess charges. The Rural Internet Access Authority conducted an intensive study to identify companies that provide dial-up Internet service in North Carolina and determine these companies’ service coverage areas. As of July 2000, the study identified approximately 120 Internet service providers. This database of ISPs shows that all citizens of North Carolina should be able to access the Internet by placing a local telephone call. To identify providers in your local calling area, enter your phone number in the 'Search for Internet Providers' box located in the left-hand navigation bar.
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What is the difference between local dial-up Internet access and high-speed Internet access?
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Local dial-up access is an Internet connection that uses a modem and a telephone line to connect to the Internet. Any N.C. citizen with a telephone line can sign-up with an ISP to get local dial-up access to the Internet. Local dial-up connections generally operate at a speed of 56 kilobits-per-second (kb/s).
High-speed Internet access can be obtained through connections using DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) or ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) lines, cable lines, wireless connections and satellite connections. According to the Federal Communications Commission, high-speed Internet access is considered to include connection speeds of 200 kilobits-per-second (kb/s) and higher. High-speed access allows people to access more complex applications on the Internet. At this time, affordable, high-speed Internet access is not available in many areas of the state.
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What technology will the e-NC Authority endorse to help bring high-speed Internet access to rural North Carolina?
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The e-NC Authority is technology neutral. The Authority expects all types of technology (i.e. DSL, ISDN, cable, wireless and satellite) to be utilized to bring high-speed Internet access to rural North Carolina.
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