en.Wedoany.com Reported - The South Carolina Broadband Office (SCBBO) announced that half of the 16 original projects approved in the state's Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) final proposal have been funded through existing non-BEAD resources. Meanwhile, the state will allocate $35,801,620 in BEAD awards to cover 19,022 servable broadband locations. SCBBO also stated that four of the remaining eight BEAD agreements have been signed and are about to begin construction, involving projects from ZiTEL, TruVista, Bell South, and Comcast.
The specific allocations are as follows: ZiTEL, LLC received $8,118,544 to deploy fiber to 4,235 locations, accounting for 22.68% of the total project funding; TruVista Communications received $6,247,010 to deploy fiber to 2,318 locations, representing 17.45%; Amazon Kuiper Commercial Services, LLC received $5,341,800 to provide Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite broadband to 8,888 locations, accounting for 14.92%; BellSouth Telecommunications LLC (AT&T) received $4,209,849 to deploy fiber to 803 locations, representing 11.76%; Comcast Cable Communications, LLC received $3,640,032 to provide Hybrid Fiber-Coaxial (HFC) network to 533 locations, accounting for 10.17%; Spectrum Southeast, LLC received $3,611,355 to deploy fiber to 837 locations, representing 10.09%; Intus Smartcities Inc. received $2,553,850 to deploy fiber to 325 locations, accounting for 7.13%; and Space Exploration Technologies (Starlink) received $2,079,000 to provide LEO satellite broadband to 1,083 locations, representing 5.81%.
SCBBO Director Jim Stritzinger stated in a press release that the day marked the agency's fifth anniversary and a significant milestone for broadband deployment in South Carolina. With an outstanding team and strong collaboration with the state's internet service providers, incredible results have been achieved across all 46 counties over the past five years. Through prudent management of existing state and federal funds, the state has been able to minimize the need for BEAD funding while accelerating network construction for its citizens. He said, "The finish line for our digital divide is now clearly in sight." In spring 2025, Stritzinger told Telecompetitor that he views the BEAD program as the fourth and final leg of an Olympic relay race aimed at bringing broadband to South Carolina, following previous funding support from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) ReConnect loan and grant program, the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF), and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
