South Carolina Announces $112 Million in Capital Project Funds Grants

WASHINGTON, December 19, 2023 – South Carolina awarded on Monday $112 million in broadband expansion grants.

The awards will fund 17 projects slated to get broadband to more than 16,000 homes and businesses by the end of 2025. 

The money comes from the Treasury Department’s $10 billion Capital Projects

Fund, a pandemic response that provides states money for expanding broadband infrastructure and other projects. About $9 billion of that has been awarded to states so far.

CPF rules require new infrastructure funded by the program to deliver speeds of at least 100 * 100 Megabits per second (Mbps).

“We are incredibly excited about this first phase of CPF investments in South Carolina,” Jim Stritzinger, director of the state’s broadband office, said in a statement. “With these investments, ISPs are now penetrating hard-to-reach areas from the Lowcountry to the Upstate, and lives are changing by the day.”

He said South Carolina is planning to award the rest of its $185 million CPF allotment sometime in early 2024. 

This round of funding went to eight local service providers, which are set to put $50 million of their own capital toward the projects.

In addition to funding infrastructure, states can also use CPF funds for improving community centers and other projects that improve access to online work, education, and healthcare.