D.C. Memo: South Carolina on Doorstep of Closing Digital Divide without a Penny from BEAD
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BEAD: Should they call it the South Carolina miracle? In less than two years, the Palmetto State has cut the unserved and underserved broadband location population by 90% – from about 300,000 to 28,724. And that’s before the state saw even a penny in BEAD program money. Under the Biden administration plan, South Carolina was allocated $551.5 million in BEAD funds, meaning the state would have sufficient funding to spend about $19,000 per location on average to close what’s left of its digital divide. “BEAD is the final piece of the puzzle. This investment is essential for the competitiveness of the entire state and to make sure no rural community is left behind as the wheels of progress move forward," said Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.) in a statement. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick might have different ideas, including taking back promised funds from states like South Carolina because the facts on the ground today have shifted so dramatically since 2023 when Biden’s NTIA announced its 50-state funding plan. Based on the pace of deployment recorded over the past 24 months – 11,300 locations passed per month – South Carolina could eliminate its unserved/underserved population by the Fourth of July. South Carolina still has broadband deployment money left over from the $400 million received under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which should reduce further the unserved/underserved population before BEAD grants arrive in Columbia. The South Carolina Broadband Office (SCBBO) claimed it developed a rapid-deployment strategy that resulted in projects ending on time or sooner and under budget. In a press release yesterday, the SCBBO said nothing about deployment frustrations nagging ISPs operating in other states around the country: Long permitting delays, pole attachment barriers, temporizing right-of-way owners, skilled worker shortages, lack of stakeholder coordination, and environmental regulations. "Through strategic investments and an innovative approach, we have made remarkable progress in just a few short years – and we will work to continue this momentum to ensure South Carolinians have the connectivity needed to thrive in today's world,” said South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R). (Continued after paywall.)
