December 2023

​South Carolina Invests $112.3 Million to Connect 16,000+ Homes

The South Carolina Broadband Office (SCBBO) is pleased to announce 17 newly funded projects through its American Rescue Plan Act’s Capital Projects Fund (CPF 1.0) grant program. For this round of investments, the SCBBO committed $112,303,273 to eight Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that will connect over 16,000 locations statewide. The total investment for this round of broadband expansion, which includes ISP contribution, is estimated to be $162,141,901.

Working Towards Digital Equity in DC

Growth, equity, education, workforce opportunities, access to government services, and sustainability. Each of these values—and many of the actions that can be taken to achieve them—can be enhanced by equitable access to high-speed internet, and a population equipped with the digital skills to productively use computers and the internet.

102 million people eligible for Google’s lawsuit settlement

Tens of millions of U.S. consumers will get a payout as Google shells out $700 million to settle an antitrust lawsuit brought by state prosecutors over the high fees it charges app developers. Google will pay $630 million into a fund that will be divided among an estimated 102 million eligible consumers across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to the settlement terms for Utah et al v. Google.

Connected Nations 2023

Full-fibre broadband is now available at more than half of UK residential premises (57%), sharply up from 42% in 2022. Gigabit-capable broadband coverage levels now exceed three-quarters (78%) of UK residential premises, up from 70% in 2022. Ofcom saw 1.7 million new full-fibre consumer connections in the year to May 2023, out of a total of 4.6 million full-fibre connections. This means that just over a third of all full-fibre connections have been taken up in the twelve months to May 2023.