WASHINGTON, February 5, 2010 – The Commerce Department on Friday announced two additional broadband stimulus funding grants: $5.9 million to the South Carolina Technical College System, and $1.2 million to a consortium of Rhode Island’s 71 public libraries.

Both grants were made under the portion of funds — $50 million in the first round of the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program — earmarked by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration for public computing centers.

“Thanks to this funding, public computer centers and computer labs throughout the state of South Carolina will be able to serve more than twice the current number of users,” Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said in a statement.

WASHINGTON, December 7, 2009 – A new report using an innovative approach to broadband data finds that the percentage of households in the United States that have adopted high-speed internet services is 72.9 percent.

The report was generated by comparing the Census blocks in which broadband is available with the number of subscribers that carriers report to the Federal Communications Commission.

October 6, 2009 – The Federal Communication Commission hosted a “field hearing” in Charleston, S.C., on October 6, 2009, as part of as part of its series of workshops and testimony in preparing a national broadband plan. One panel at the hearing focused on expanding digital literacy to the elderly, and to those whose professions rely heavily on the Internet.

The Federal Communications Commission is going to South Carolina on Monday, October 5, and Tuesday, October 6. Today, Today, the FCC hosts a consumer forum on broadband at Ravenel Community Hall in Ravenal, S.C., from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The forum, according to the FCC, the event“ is designed to provide an open dialogue between consumers and government officials in order to develop a more comprehensive and inclusive National Broadband Plan.”

WASHINGTON, September 22, 2009 – Federal Communications Commissioner Mignon Clyburn said Monday that a large percentage of African Americans still have not made the use of the Internet a priority in their lives, especially at home.

WASHINGTON, September 2, 2009 – BroadbandCensus.com announced that it has released a beta version of a public broadband map of Richland County, South Carolina, which is available at http://broadbandcensusmaps.com. The map presents a Census block-by-Census block display of the availability, technologies and carriers offering broadband service within the area of Columbia, S.C. This beta map continues to be under active development by BroadbandCensus.com, and feedback is encouraged.

WASHINGTON, July 15, 2009 – Widespread broadband deployment and adoption is essential to economic recovery as well as social justice, House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C. said Tuesday morning at the July BroadbandCensus.com Breakfast Club.

WASHINGTON, April 30, 2009 – The White House announced late Wednesday its intention to nominate South Carolina Public Service Commissioner Mignon Clyburn to the Federal Communications Commission.

COLUMBIA, S.C., April 21, 2009 – Representatives with broadband interests from southeastern states met at Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina on April 15, 2009, to discuss the status of broadband in their states and common approaches they might take to advance their interests.

WASHINGTON, March 16, 2009 – As the Obama administration on Monday begins poring over the nitty-gritty details about how they will be spending $7.2 billion in broadband stimulus funds, individual states are grappling to find their own best strategies to tap the funds.