ORANGEBURG COUNTY, S.C. — The town of Holly Hill has a new option when it comes to internet connections.
The town signed a Wi-fi agreement with Beam Communication of Summerville on Monday.
In addition to Century Link, this means there are now two internet providers accessible within the town limits.
“It’s a game changer for everybody," said Mayor Billy Chavis.
Chavis says this partnership is helping to move the town of Holly Hill forward.
“When the kids had to go to school virtual, they had a Wi-fi bus that would drive around to certain areas on certain days and have to offer Wi-fi service to the community. Well, with Beam , Beam offers another opportunity to bring Wi-fi to the area," he said.
Prior to this week, CenturyLink was the sole internet provider in Holly Hill.
"What we wanted to do in this community, we wanted to give people a choice," said Beam Communication CEO Vlad Goncear.
Chavis says the town is working with Beam in an effort to achieve mutual growth.
"We're trying to help a startup company start up, and they're offering us a second option for internet in Holly Hill," he said.
The Summerville-based company says it also has plans to open up a local office.
“I wanna hire locally. We’re gonna open up an office here locally in town so people can just stop by, inquire about the service," said Goncear.
Currently the service is only accessible within town limits but they are working to expand. The service agreement is five years. Community feedback will help decide whether service will be continued.