COLUMBIA, S.C. — Thousands of business and residential locations in the state are slated to get access to broadband internet by the end of 2030, according to new numbers from the South Carolina's Broadcast Office (SCBBO), under the Office of Regulatory Staff.
The SCBBO released an updated map showing technology available as of June 2024, including projects funded by the state-managed American Rescue Plan Act investments, FCC funds, and the results of the SC Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Challenge.
According to a press release from the Office, there are approximately 128,149 underserved residential locations and 22,554 underserved business locations that are eligible for broadband access that do not have it. But that is projected to drop to 31,746 locations by December of 2030.
Some areas, like Calhoun County, have seen updates across rural spots to improve internet access over the past several years. Before, some rural places had no internet at all, which made it difficult to do daily tasks, according to resident Bill Minikiewicz.
"We had terrible, slow as you could get internet service," said Minikiewicz. "Checking your schedule for work, checking the weather. Today we depend on it so much so it’s virtually made an improvement to anything you can think of."
He says for a while he had satellite internet, but that it was slow and expensive. A company finally offered to run a fiber cable up to his house, and he says he finally has efficient internet.
"It’s all we ever dreamed of," said Minikiewicz. "I can be on the internet in my office and my wife can be downstairs and watching a program on television and the grand kids can be watching something on a TV set in another room."
