(TNS) — Some parts of
York County, S.C., that haven't had high speed internet are about to go online.
Fiber optic based internet at speeds up to 1 Gbps will extend to
Smyrna,
Hickory Grove and western
York County. Full upgrades could take two or three years, but some western
York County residents could have new service by mid-2021.
The change comes through a partnership with
Comporium and
York Electric Cooperative. It impacts about 5,000
York Electric members in
York and parts of
Cherokee counties. Some details are still to be determined, per a joint release from
Comporium and
York Electric, after a year of discussion already on the project.
Other
Comporium services like streaming video, voice, security and home automation will be available along with the improved internet access.
In the release,
Comporium executive vice president and COO
Matthew Dosch
praised the partnership.
"
Comporium is delighted to work hand-in-hand with the staff at
York Electric to extend state-of-the-art broadband service to residents of western
York and parts of
Cherokee County who have long been overlooked by the larger providers," Dosch said.
High speed internet has become increasingly useful in recent years as everything from shopping and banking to entertainment and communication have gone online. The COVID-19 pandemic that began last spring also sent school virtual, as grocery deliveries and more did the same as many people stayed home.
York Electric CEO
Paul Basha
, in the release, said his group always wants to look out for its members.
"We are excited to partner with
Comporium to bring broadband to many who have suffered from insufficient access for several years, holding true to our promise of improving the quality of life for those living in our communities," Basha said. "After recognizing the growing need for high speed Internet, especially during the pandemic, YEC's board of directors and management team responded with a plan to help."
York Electric is a nonprofit electric utility based in
York with more than 63,000 customers in
York,
Lancaster,
Chester and
Cherokee counties. It's one of 20 electric cooperatives in
South Carolina.
Comporium, based in
Rock Hill, has more than 134,000 customers in a more than 4,000-square-mile service area.
(c)2021 The Herald (Rock Hill, S.C.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
