The South Carolina Broadband Office (SCBBO) is pleased to announce 17 newly funded projects through its American Rescue Plan Act’s (ARPA) Capital Projects Fund (CPF 1.0) grant program. For this round of investments, the SCBBO committed $112,303,273 to eight Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that will connect over 16,000 locations statewide. The total investment for this round of broadband expansion, which includes ISP contribution, is estimated to be $162,141,901. All CPF 1.0 grants are required to be complete by December 29, 2025.

“We are incredibly excited about this first phase of CPF investments in South Carolina,” said Jim Stritzinger, Director of the SC Broadband Office. “In early 2024, we anticipate completing our CPF decisions and gearing up for the final set of ARPA investments. With these investments, ISPs are now penetrating hard-to-reach areas from the Lowcountry to the Upstate, and lives are changing by the day!”

“These grants are the culmination of months of hard work, and we greatly appreciate the continued participation of ISPs and support from Governor McMaster and the General Assembly as we work together to solve South Carolina’s digital divide,” said Andrew Bateman, Acting Executive Director of the South Carolina Office of Regulatory Staff. “Without their help, such rapid internet deployment would not be possible.”

An interactive map of CPF grant awards may be found here.

More information can be found at ors.sc.gov/broadband.

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The SCBBO is housed within the state’s Office of Regulatory Staff. It serves as the central broadband planning body to coordinate with federal, state, regional, local, and private entities, to the extent practicable, to engage in the continued deployment of broadband in the state.