TATT Chat Recap – Broadband in the Upstate
Guest Speakers, Tom Allen, Director of Safety, Transportation, and Emergency Response, South Carolina Office of Regulatory Staff, Jim Stritzinger, Founder, President & CEO, Revolution D, Inc., and Shannon Sears, Director of Commercial Operations, West Carolina Tel on Broadband in the Upstate
Please see video recording to view presentations and comments. View presentation here.
Q & A and Links
Q: Who is eligible to apply for the grants?
A: Providers are eligible and entities are encouraged to advocate local providers to apply.
Q: Do you know if USAC is going to expand E-rate to include another category for home? Can we use the grant to provide for our 20% match?
A: This is the link to the new funding available from ORS and the Department of Commerce -https://ors.sc.gov/broadband/funding/rural-broadband-grant-program
Here is the link to the map. Please keep in mind that there are errors and we are working with ISPs and vendor to correct – https://ors.sc.gov/broadband/funding/rural-broadband-grant-program
Thank you to our funding partners:
3/9/21 UEE Workshop: Conversations to Avoid Intellectual Property Calamities:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMvcOyurjkqGdHOFP4ufKyFmli74Ri7XuXq
3/24/21 at 10:00 am: UPP Workshop: Northside Community Update:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYrceyppj0sGd08f3tdrAlHHK_CD4x-D5VF
Check out the Upstate Vibe calendar:
Please join us for the next TATT CHAT on March 18 at 3pm: Maintaining Mental Health:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYofuuhqz8iHdUWk6BBTjyls0ucfffJBe1l
The EJ Small Grants and EJ CPS RFAs are now live. Closing date is May 7, 2021.
Eligible entities include:
- Non-profits
- U.S. territories
- Tribal Governments (both federally recognized and state-recognized)
- Native American Organizations
- Small grants are for $50,000 each. Looking to fund approximately 56 nationwide with about 5 per region.
CPS awards are for $160,000 each. Looking to fund 20 nationwide with approximately 2 per region.
Areas of emphasis include projects focusing on:
- COVID-19 impacts on underserved communities (both)
- Climate/Disaster Resiliency (both)
- Ports Initiative projects (small grants)
- Projects from small non-profits of 10 or fewer employees (small grants)
- New applicants and grantees (both)
County Updates
Abbeville County – Stephen Taylor, Economic Development Director
- Our unemployment numbers have improved greatly: 13.9 to 4.8
- As a rural community we are glad to see infrastructure growth
- Upper Savannah Virtual Workforce Day was a success (link); WCTEL participated
- Abbeville is looking closely at public transportation options
Union County – Taylor Atkinson, Executive Director, Union County Library
- We have recently hired a full time social worker at the Library (SC Native; has connections and is aware of the local resources) who is doing outreach in our area
- As a workaround to broadband, the library is an “anchor institution” mandated to have internet access by the FCC. In rural parts of Union County they can provide internet to at little to no cost to the community and are working on expanding several other sites in Union County
- Open up for limited library browsing hours and pick ups
Please see 
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