BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD)- More than $6 million has been awarded to a Berkeley County service provider to expand high-speed internet access to rural South Carolinians, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Tuesday.

The grant is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s ReConnect Program.

According to USDA, the Home Telecom Company will receive $6.2 million to connect nearly 4,000 people, 49 businesses, 46 farms, and two educational facilities to high-speed internet in Berkeley County.

“This $6.2 million Rural Development investment will serve socially vulnerable communities in Berkeley County and will make high-speed internet affordable,” USDA Rural Development South Carolina State Director Dr. Saundra Glover said. “This project will fuel long-term economic development and opportunities in rural South Carolina.”

The grant is part of a larger $714 million investment to provide thousands of people living in rural communities in 19 states with reliable, affordable internet access.

“High-speed internet is a key to prosperity for people who live and work in rural communities,” USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said. “Thanks to President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we can ensure that rural communities have access to the internet connectivity needed to continue to expand the economy from the bottom up and middle out and to make sure rural America remains a place of opportunity to live, work, and raise a family.”

Since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA has invested in 142 ReConnet projects that are expected to bring high-speed internet access to 314,000 rural Americans.

To learn more about this grant, please click here.