Timeline
| Event | Date/Deadline |
|---|---|
| Eligibility Map, Grant Application and Guidelines Published on the ORS Website | 1/23/2023 |
| Application Period Opens | 1/30/2023 |
| ADGP Webinar | 2/2/2023 |
| Application Period Closes | 2/28/2023 |
| Submitted Applications Posted on the ORS Website / Comment Period Opens | 3/3/2023 |
| Comment Period Closes | 3/17/2023 |
| Application Review / Selection | 6/30/2023 |
| Funding Agreements Sent to the Companies | 7/14/2023 |
| Funding Agreements Returned to the ORS | 7/28/2023 |
| Grant Award | 8/4/2023 |
| Submit all backup to ORS for review | 8/18/2023 |
| Project Completion / Submit Application for Disbursement to ORS | 10/13/2023 |
| US Treasury Reporting Due | 6/30/2024 |
*All dates reflect no later than
As indicated in the timeline above, this grant program has been awarded and projects are now completed. All other information on this page is for reference only. Questions may be emailed to broadband@ors.sc.gov.
The 2023 Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (“SLFRF”), Accelerated Deployment Grant Program (ADGP), sought 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.
This grant program was designed to reimburse a portion of those construction costs associated with broadband projects that were constructed and completed without any public funding between March 15, 2021 – June 30, 2022. Projects were eligible for an opportunity for reimbursement of a portion of those construction costs. Only those broadband construction projects implemented without any public grant funding were eligible for this program. Projects that participated in USDA’s broadband expansion programs such as but not limited to USDA Reconnect, the Federal Communication Commission’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) or Connect America Fund Phase II (CAF II), County America Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funds, CARES I or II, the Rural Broadband Grant Program, or other public, state, or federal grant funding were not eligible, private investments only. Participation in the federal or state universal service fund did not ban an application in this program.
The South Carolina General Assembly allocated $214,234,345 of American Rescue Plan Act (“ARPA”) funds, less administrative costs, to provide financial assistance to install and deliver broadband infrastructure in unserved areas throughout the State. Pursuant to 2022 S.C. Acts No. 244 (“American Rescue Acts Authorization”), the Office of Broadband Coordinator, also referred to as the SC Broadband Office (SCBBO) which is housed within the South Carolina Office of Regulatory Staff, may have included an opportunity to reimburse a portion of construction costs incurred on or after March 15, 2021, related to the expansion of broadband during the pandemic. All expenditures, reimbursements, and grants awarded by the SCBBO must have been in compliance with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) guidelines and the methods and guidance issued by the United States Department of the Treasury for the allocation and oversight of ARPA funding.