Public Engagement
Get Connected SC, a consumer-facing site highlighting the various programs being offered or planned, was created to support Internet for All efforts. In order to gauge the public’s perception and thoughts on the level of Internet coverage across the state, a 22-week survey campaign was conducted. The survey exerted more than 2,000 professional hours and collaborated with over 25 other entities, including the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA), University of South Carolina (USC), South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs (CMA), Clemson, South Carolina Institutes of Innovation and Information (SCIII), Riggs Partners, and many others. This campaign focused on rural, unserved communities and resulted in over 13,000 completed surveys, 48 percent of which came from the target audience of underserved and unserved residents. This analysis directly informed South Carolina’s BEAD Five-Year Action Plan and will strongly influence the direction future efforts for both BEAD and Digital Equity programs in South Carolina.
Amplifying Investments
At a statewide press conference in the state capital, Governor Henry McMaster and U.S. Representative Jim Clyburn (SC-6) announced NTIA's Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) and Digital Equity Programs. Nannette Edwards, Executive Director of the South Carolina Office of Regulatory Staff, welcomed many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and other stakeholders, and outlined each of the programs.
Listening Sessions
NTIA held over 17 listening sessions across the state, focusing on unserved and underserved communities in rural South Carolina and engaging community leaders, organizations, and citizens that will directly benefit from access to high-speed Internet. These meetings are on-going.
Mapping
South Carolina created “SC Digital Drive,” a repository of maps and data, to track state progress towards universal coverage and Internet for All.