SPRINGFIELD, S.C. — In the town of Springfield, broadband service will be available as soon as this week.
Service was available as early as Wednesday morning.
This service is being offered through Aiken Electric Co-Op's partnership with Lexington-based company Carolina Connect.
Springfield-area resident Jerry Hallman said he signed up for broadband several months ago and looks forward to finally being able to utilize it.
“Now, everything is all about communication and so much is tied to that," Hallman said. "Commerce and business and industries and for personal use, as well. So, I was very excited when I learned we were getting high-speed internet."
For years, Hallman and his family relied on satellite internet that he says wasn't always reliable.
“My wife was able to work from home, but because our internet service was so bad, she finally gave up and started going back to work. So, from that perspective, I think it’s a godsend," he said.
According to officials at Aiken Electric, the town of Springfield is not served by the company and customers receiving internet are receiving power from Dominion Energy. Therefore, Springfield residents will pay a slightly higher price than AEC customers of $10 per package for service.
Councilwoman Francine Edwards says having access to broadband will help fill a necessary void in town since its local library closed down last fall. She says this was a place many people relied on for internet service.
“You can imagine wanting to get information and don’t have access to internet services, so of course that is going to be one of our highlights of Springfield, having those fast services because we don’t have a library," said Edwards.
She also says having access to broadband could support local commerce.
“Infrastructure, and high quality internet…who knows that would bring a lot of businesses to Springfield and that is what we need.”
For more information about AEC and Carolina Connect’s internet offerings, or to receive alerts when service will be available in your area, visit their website and join the list.