Hargray's Lowcountry Broadband Initiative Celebrates Dramatic Success in First Year

Hilton Head-based Hargray to build on success with more fiber and increased speeds up to 1 Gigabit per second in 2017

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Jul 21, 2016, 11:35 ET

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C., July 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Hargray Communications celebrated the one-year anniversary of its Lowcountry Broadband Plan on Wednesday, July 20 at an event at its headquarters in Hilton Head. Government and community leaders from Hilton Head, Bluffton, and Beaufort were among those in attendance to acknowledge the immense growth of Hargray's fiber-fueled network over the past year.

Chairman and CEO of Hargray Communications Michael Gottdenker answers questions after an anniversary celebration for Hargray's Lowcountry Broadband Plan on Wednesday, July 20, 2016, at Hargray's offices in Hilton Head Island, S.C.

In one year, Hargray has installed more than 100 miles of fiber-optic cable—enough to wrap around Hilton Head Island 10 times—and made significant upgrades to its network. Eight communities have already taken advantage of the new infrastructure: Brays Island Plantation, Belfair, Haig Point, Hilton Head Plantation, Mill Creek Plantation, Palmetto Dunes Plantation, Sea Pines Plantation and Sun City Plantation. Hargray is in active dialogue with and expects to add several other communities to this list.

"What Hargray is doing is helping our region stay ahead of the times when it comes to Internet capabilities," said Bluffton Mayor Lisa Sulka. "Their fiber infrastructure and investment in our communities gives people another reason to live, work and play here. Whether residents or tourists to the region, people expect to be able to connect to the Internet, and we're glad a local company is capable of providing that."

Sulka was one of five people who spoke at the event, along with Chris McCorkendale, senior vice president of sales and business development at Hargray; Greg DeLoach, assistant town manager of Hilton Head Island; Jim Collett, chair of the Hilton Head Technology Task Force; and Michael Gottdenker, chairman and CEO of Hargray. Speakers outlined the progress of the Lowcountry Broadband Plan to date and gave a preview of improvements that are set to come in the near future.

"While we're very proud of how far we've come, it's even more exciting to think of where we're going," Gottdenker said. "Our continued investment in the Lowcountry Broadband Plan positions us to deliver world-class Internet speeds and a premium television experience with the capacity to grow and match demand over time. These investments mean that all of the communities we serve—from Hilton Head, Bluffton, and Beaufort to Savannah, Hinesville, Statesboro, and Lake Oconee—will have access to the same or better world-class communications services that are available in the most major metropolitan markets on the planet."

Gottdenker also acknowledged that the investments come with more than just a financial cost to Hargray: "This has necessitated digging up streets and yards and—try as we have to minimize disruption and inconvenience—we have accidentally cut water and sewer pipes, electric lines, underground sprinkler systems, dog fences, as well as our and our competitors' communications networks." Gottdenker also spoke about temporary service interruptions or degradation resulting from upgrades to Hargray's internal network, and thanked Hargray's customers, neighbors, and colleagues for their patience as the company works through these upgrades.

The event also featured testimonials from customers of Hargray's upgraded services raving about the quality and speed. These can be found on the Lowcountry Broadband Anniversary Fact Sheet in Hargray's Media Center.

For more information or to express interest in having your community included in the Lowcountry Broadband plan, please visit http://www.hargray.com/lowcountry-broadband/.

About Hargray, Inc.
Hargray is a telecommunications industry leader that provides residential, business, large enterprise and resort customers in South Carolina and Georgia with Internet, television, and communications services. Based in Hilton Head Island and founded in 1949, Hargray is committed to delivering the most advanced technology and the best service for customers in Beaufort, Jasper, and Hampton counties in South Carolina, and Chatham, Bulloch, Greene, Liberty, Putnam, and Tattnall counties in Georgia. Hargray's dedicated team of approximately 400 colleagues—most of whom live and work in the Lowcountry Region—support a wide range of local charities, organizations, projects and events, including the company's Caring Coins Foundation, which has raised more than $2 million for local organizations. For more information, please visit www.hargray.com.