In the past several years, South Carolina has made great strides in improving access to high-speed broadband across the state. It has achieved this through the creation of key broadband strategic planning offices, including the South Carolina Broadband Office in 2021 and the Digital Equity Office in 2022, and through committing significant resources to expanding access for high-speed broadband, $400m coming from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds alone. South Carolina is excited to utilize the approximately $551m of its allocated BEAD funding to take the next steps and has articulated its vision, goals, strategies, and other relevant information in this Five-Year Action Plan (accessible below under the "BEAD Planning Documents" drop-down menu) to describe both what the State of South Carolina (the State) intends to accomplish and how it intends to do so.

The 2024 American Rescue Plan Act (“ARPA”) State Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF) 3.0 Grant Program seeks to expand broadband infrastructure to households, business, and communities in the State. This grant program will directly support South Carolina Act 244 (July 25, 2022), which authorizes the Office of Broadband Coordinator, an office within the Office of Regulatory Staff (ORS) that is more commonly known as the SC Broadband Office (SCBBO), to expand broadband infrastructure to households, businesses, and communities that are unserved or underserved by broadband services.

The Capital Projects Fund (CPF) provides $10 billion to states, territories, freely associated states, and Tribal governments to fund critical capital projects that enable work, education, and health monitoring in response to the public health emergency. South Carolina is approved to receive $185.8 million for broadband infrastructure, which will fund the "Next, Next Greatest Thing – Main Street South Carolina" (MAIN ST) grant program, a competitive last-mile broadband grant program designed to provide affordable, reliable broadband service to rural areas that currently lack adequate internet service. Within those eligible areas, the MAIN ST program prioritizes projects that will deliver broadband to rural town centers and the surrounding residential areas.

The 2023 Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (“SLFRF”), Accelerated Deployment Grant Program (ADGP), seeks to compensate a portion of those construction costs for the expansion of broadband infrastructure to households, business, and communities in the State that were unserved.

On May 13, 2022, Governor Henry McMaster signed H.4408, which includes an allocation of $400 million to the Office of Regulatory Staff -- South Carolina Broadband Office for the purpose of deploying broadband infrastructure. All American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds must be awarded through competitive grant processes.

The Joint Bond Review Committee approved the allocation of $30,000,000 for the Rural Broadband Grant Program to be developed and implemented by the ORS, in coordination with the South Carolina Department of Commerce (SCDOC), to expand broadband availability and access in South Carolina.