Lamar merging onto information superhighway
(left to right) Charter Communications AVP Tony Sieiro, Sen. Gerald Malloy, laptop winner Mike King, Spectrum’s Ben Breazeale and Speaker of the S.C. House Jay Lucas.
By Samantha Lyles, Staff Writer, slyles@newsandpress.net
Last December, Spectrum Cable and Charter Communications announced plans to install a state of the art fiber network in Lamar, bringing cutting-edge online service to a town that had lobbied 10 years for better connectivity. On Tuesday, Aug. 13, Spectrum execs came back to town to celebrate the completion of the network and offer gifts to help local residents merge onto their new online expressway.
“Today is truly a celebration. We are connecting Lamar, South Carolina, to Spectrum’s high-speed Internet network,” said Ben Breazeale, Spectrum’s Senior Director of State Government Affairs.
Spectrum customers in Lamar will now be able to access a 200 mbps Internet connection – the same speed available in top markets like New York City, Los Angeles, and other major cities. Company reps said the Lamar project is part of Spectrum’s commitment to improve communications infrastructure in rural communities. In 2018, Spectrum expanded their network to provide broadband to 500,000 additional homes and businesses across the nation, with 34.6 percent of those customers living in rural areas.
“With faster Internet speeds, especially in more rural areas of South Carolina, the doors will be open for future business investments, expanded educational opportunities, and will attract more people to live here in South Carolina,” said Charter Communications Assistant VP of Field Operations Tony Sieiro.
The Lamar network involved laying over 13 miles of transport fiber over a period of nine months. Sieiro said the fiber connections were laid directly to the homes of each Lamar customer, ensuring the fastest possible connection for each of their 700 residential users.
Just as he did last year, Breazeale laid much of the credit for this project at the feet of Bobby Hudson, current Darlington County Council chairman and former Lamar Mayor. Breazeale jokingly recounted Hudson’s dogged dedication to securing better cable and Internet service for his hometown, claiming that Hudson phoned him every Christmas, New Year’s, and Easter over a decade to lobby for Lamar.
“The vision for Lamar is for everybody to have Internet access. It’s a must now. It’s not just for pleasure, it’s for business, banking, everything,” said Hudson. “This puts us on a level playing field with industries who are looking to come to this area.”
To celebrate the network’s completion, Spectrum donated 40 new HP laptops to the Lamar Library, and gifted several via raffle to guests at the ceremony.
(left to right) Lamar Chief of Police Carl Scott, laptop winner Roberta Epps, and Spectrum’s Ben Breazeale Photos by Samantha Lyles
