YORK COUNTY, S.C. — Thousands of families living in rural South Carolina now have access to high-speed internet, thanks to national and sate efforts. This week, state leaders and the South Carolina Broadband Office announced about 100,000 households received access to high-speed internet in the last year, including parts of York County.
The pandemic highlighted a need to close the digital divide most often seen in rural communities. South Carolina invested a total of $480 million from state and federal funds to bridge the gap, particularly in rural communities like the town of Sharon.
Tyler Chapman owns High Cotton Builders in Sharon, which builds custom homes. Up until a few months ago, he had no high-speed internet at his home.
“[It's been] life changing from a business standpoint because I use it for work. I’m on the computer a lot," said Chapman. "Before high-speed internet was available, I was using a hotspot on my phone, which was very, very spotty."
Now, Chapman can log on from home, and the homes he builds also have high-speed internet access.
South Carolina state Senator Mike Fanning, who represents District 17, said the pandemic highlighted the digital divide like never before.
“You can never say COVID was good, but you can always learn lessons from anything. Coming out of COVID, [it] illustrated the digital divide like no time in our state’s history. Rural communities were screaming it for years, but I think the emperor was exposed with no clothes during COVID," Fanning said.
The work isn’t done yet. The state is spending another $180 million by December to further boost accessibility. That's something Barbara Williams, who has lived in the town of McConnells for 30 years, is grateful for.
“We’re just thrilled to know that somebody is going to be coming out here and we’re just ready to sign up," she said.
The federal government recognized that some families have access to high speed internet, but they can’t afford it, and launched the Affordable Connectivity Program, which in some cases makes internet free for low income families.
Contact Indira Eskieva at ieskieva@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.