Eight local providers, mostly rural ILECs, received $112.3 million in grants as part of South Carolina broadband funding on Friday.
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South Carolina broadband funding: $112.3 million to local providers
The South Carolina Broadband Office provides these grants. A total of $162.1 million is to be invested for the expansion, with the remaining amount to be borne by the supplier.
These grants are being awarded through the state’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Capital Projects Fund (CPF 1.0), which is expected to provide internet service to more than 16,000 locations. Seventeen projects will be funded in total.
The eight companies that will receive funding are WC Fiber, Carolina Connect Cooperative, Comporium, Farmers Telephone Cooperative, Home Telephone Company, Horry Telephone Company, Palmetto Communications and Sandhill Telephone Cooperative.
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Additionally, $185 million in Federal Capital Projects Fund funding was awarded to South Carolina in May, with plans to use it entirely for broadband deployment to more than 31,000 unserved or underserved homes and businesses in the state.
Unlike previous funding rounds in which South Carolina awarded funds to carriers with high rate caps, the results of this funding round differ somewhat.
Under the American Rescue Plan Act and the Priority 1.0 grant program from state and local tax recovery funds earlier this year, AT&T and Comcast were among the largest recipients, along with 13 other companies.
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AT&T received $13.3 million and Comcast received $19 million.
Farmers Telephone Cooperative and Palmetto, two of Friday’s recipients, were also funded in the previous round.
South Carolina Broadband Office Director Jim Stritzinger said in a prepared statement that the office plans to finalize its CPF decisions by early 2024.
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He said, “Thanks to these investments, ISPs are now entering hard-to-reach areas, from the Lowcountry to the Upstate, and lives are changing day by day,” Stritzinger continued.
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