Public Comment Period Open for SC’s Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Initial Proposal

The South Carolina Broadband Office (SCBBO), within the Office of Regulatory Staff, seeks public comment regarding Volume 1 and Volume 2 of the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Initial Proposal.

The BEAD Initial Proposal is a requirement toward obtaining an additional $551.5 million for investment in broadband deployment projects throughout the state from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

The SCBBO has developed a Five-Year Action Plan which served as a launching point for the development of these initial proposals. Volume 1 and Volume 2 initial proposals focus on detailing the SCBBO’s comprehensive approach toward administering South Carolina’s BEAD Grant Program.

As part of the state’s formal vetting process of the plan, a 30-day comment period began on October 30 and will end on November 30. The public is encouraged to review and comment on this document by filling out the comment form. For ease of use and overall readability of this document, template questions and guidance from the NTIA are italicized, and blue and bold text represents SCBBO draft responses

Properly submitted comments will be reviewed, aggregated, and may be used to further refine Volume 1 and/or Volume 2 of the draft initial proposals prior to final submission to the NTIA, which is due no later than December 27.

An informational session about South Carolina’s BEAD Initial Proposal will be held via webinar on Wednesday, November 8, 2023, from 10 to 11 a.m. Those interested in learning more can register for the session online.  

For more information, contact the SCBBO at (803) 737-0800 or media@ors.sc.gov.