COLUMBIA, S.C. — The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on Wednesday that two rural districts in South Carolina will be receiving a total of $13,087,738 in funds to be used to improve access to high-speed internet services.
The funding is part of the USDA's ReConnect Program investment of $167 million in 12 states to deploy broadband infrastructure in rural areas without sufficient access to high-speed internet.
In South Carolina, TruVista Communications -- a Chester-based cable company supplying long-distance telephone, cable TV and broadband internet services to Chester, Fairfield and Kershaw counties, as well as a small portion of Richland County -- has been awarded $3,254,703. The funding will be used to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises and hybrid-fiber-coax network to 755 households, 1,881 people, four businesses and 15 farms spread over 23 square miles in TruVista's coverage area. The area is represented by US Senators Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott and Representatives Ralph Norman and Joe Wilson.
Horry Telephone Cooperative, Inc., is the second entity to receive funding. The telecommunications company's $9,833,035 will be used to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network in a service area that includes 2,889 households, 7,636 people, 11 educational facilities, three essential community facilities, 41 farms and 80 businesses in an area over 184 square miles. The area is represented by US Senators Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott and Representative Tom Rice.
