Additional Funding
There are additional funding opportunities available for the expansion of broadband in South Carolina. The ORS does not administer these funding programs.
USDA’s Community Connect Grants Program
The purpose of the US Department of Agriculture’s Community Connect Program is to provide financial assistance in the form of grants to eligible applicants that will provide, on a “community-oriented connectivity” basis, broadband service that fosters economic growth and delivers enhanced educational, health care, and public safety benefits.
Rural Digital Opportunity Fund
The Federal Communications Commissions’ Rural Digital Opportunity Fund will provide $20.4 billion to bring high-speed fixed broadband service to rural homes and small businesses in the United States.
US Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)
The NTIA announced the availability of $288 million in grant funding for the deployment of broadband infrastructure. Grants will be awarded to partnerships between a state, or political subdivisions of a state, and providers of fixed broadband service.
Santee Cooper
Santee Cooper is accepting applications from broadband providers interested in accessing excess fiber and transmission infrastructure. Santee Cooper is not a provider of broadband, but instead will allow providers access to its 1,200 miles of excess fiber and transmission poles on the nearly statewide system to enable a faster and less expensive expansion into unserved areas.