South Carolina cuts BEAD subgrantees from 16 to 8 projects, shifts eight to state funds
South Carolina officials announced that eight of the 16 projects originally planned under the state's $42.45 billion federal BEAD allocation will instead be funded using existing state and ARPA resources rather than BEAD money. The remaining eight BEAD subgrantees include ZiTEL, TruVista, Amazon Leo (Kuiper), Starlink, AT&T, Comcast, Spectrum, and Intus Smartcities, with only Amazon Leo's award amount changing slightly from its preliminary figure.
Providers named: ZiTEL, TruVista Communications, Amazon Leo, Starlink, AT&T, Comcast, Spectrum, Intus Smartcities
What this means for BEAD compliance
The eight ISPs remaining as South Carolina BEAD subgrantees (ZiTEL, TruVista, Amazon Leo/Kuiper, Starlink, AT&T, Comcast, Spectrum, Intus Smartcities), as well as the eight providers whose projects are being shifted off BEAD to state/ARPA funding.
The eight providers moving to state/ARPA funding are removed from BEAD compliance scope entirely, meaning federal obligations such as NEPA environmental screening, SCRM equipment certification, Buy America, and BEAD-specific reporting no longer apply to those projects, though state program terms may impose separate requirements. The eight remaining BEAD subgrantees continue toward subgrant agreement execution and must complete pre-award compliance steps, including SCRM/covered-equipment certification and environmental review documentation, before their agreements are finalized. Amazon Leo's revised award amount will require updated cost documentation and reconciliation with its preliminary figure once the subgrant agreement is executed.
Analysis by BeadComply Compliance Intelligence, grounded in the BEAD requirements registry.
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