Source: Jamin Wade, WLTX News 19
HOLLY HILL, S.C. — Some parts of Orangeburg County still lack high-speed internet, but county leaders are taking steps to expand access in rural communities.
County Council recently approved about $668,000 to purchase fiber cables for Phase Four of the county’s broadband expansion project. Officials say this phase will reach areas that currently struggle with reliable internet, including Holly Hill.
For residents like Patricia Patterson, the investment is welcome news. “It feels good. It feels good. It’s a great thing. It really is,” she said.
Orangeburg County Administrator Harold Young says high-speed internet is now just as essential as water and sewer for residents who work from home or rely on telehealth services. “Internet is an essential service. A lot of individuals work from home, and their way of providing for their family is based upon the internet. It is very crucial,” he said.
Patterson says the lack of access has affected local families. “It sounds really good, really good for the kids in school. My grandsons had to go to a library in Calhoun County to get on the internet, and it wasn’t a good thing. It’ll really be a good thing for everybody,” she said.
County leaders say crews will begin laying fiber in the coming months, with the project expected to be complete by the end of the year.
