A new bill filed in the N.C. House of Representatives would allocate more than $750 million to connect Craven and other counties throughout the state to broadband internet access. The move comes as officials from New Bern and other cities have urged lawmakers to step up efforts to bring updated broadband service to eastern North Carolina. Under House Bill 947, money allocated by the federal government under the American Rescue Plan would be used to increase broadband access throughout North Carolina. Under the newly established Completing Access to Broadband (CAB) program, the bill allocates $400 million in grants that would be made available to every county in the state to help close “broadband gaps.”