Elizabeth City community gathers to welcome newly enhanced, hands-on exhibits during First Friday ArtWalk
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – Friday, November 7, 2025 – Today, Brightspeed, the nation’s third-largest fiber broadband builder, was joined by Port Discover, local leaders and community members to commemorate the grand reopening of Port Discover, a hands-on children’s center for science! The ceremony was held alongside Elizabeth City Downtown’s First Friday ArtWalk, marking a new chapter for the beloved community space, which – thanks to Brightspeed – now features refreshed, interactive exhibits designed to spark curiosity and inspire STEM learning for children of all ages.
Fitting for the Hot Cocoa Capital of the World, this event included a free hot cocoa bar, celebratory remarks from city and state officials and kid-friendly activities.
“Port Discover has always been a hub for exploration, imagination and learning, and today’s turnout shows just how much this space means to our community,” said Kortni Austin, Executive Director of Port Discover. “We’re grateful to Brightspeed for helping us bring new life to our exhibits and create even more opportunities for children to engage with science in ways that are exciting and meaningful.”
Brightspeed partnered with Port Discover to enhance and refresh the center’s interactive STEM experiences as part of the company’s commitment to investing in the communities where it’s building a reliable, high-speed fiber network to help bridge the digital divide in rural North Carolina. Brightspeed Fiber Internet is currently available to nearly 12,000 homes and businesses in the area, with roughly 15,500 planned by the end of the build.
“We’re proud to support organizations like Port Discover that spark creativity and help young people see what’s possible,” said Steve Brewer, Government Affairs Director at Brightspeed. “Moments like today reinforce the power of community partnerships and the importance of bringing high-quality educational resources to families across Northeastern North Carolina.”
“At Brightspeed, we believe that true connectivity goes beyond the network; it’s about empowering the people and places we serve,” said Sabrina Anderson, local marketing manager at Brightspeed. “By supporting spaces like Port Discover, we’re helping to create stronger, more connected communities where curiosity, innovation and opportunity can thrive.”
To learn more about the upgrades at Port Discover, please visit portdiscover.org, and to learn more about Brightspeed Fiber Internet in the Elizabeth City area, please visit brightspeed.com/fiber.
About Brightspeed
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C. and with assets and associated operations in 20 states, Brightspeed provides broadband and telecommunications services through a network platform capable of serving more than 7.3 million homes and businesses. Our nearly 4,000 employees are committed to building a future where more communities benefit from a more connected life, deploying a state-of-the-art fiber network and a customer experience that makes being connected as simple as it should be. For more information, please visit www.brightspeed.com.
