Tri-County Electric Plans To Expand Broadband In Lower Richland County

Press release from the Richland County Government:

December 8, 2021

Tri-County Electric Cooperative will invest $12 million to expand broadband service in Lower Richland, parts of which have never had access to high-speed internet.

As part of its service expansion in Richland County, Tri-County will construct fiber optic cable throughout Lower Richland. This work will enable the company to provide broadband to a largely rural community at competitive prices.

“We are excited to see Tri-County investing in Richland County to provide more residents with access to broadband internet,” said County Council Chair Paul Livingston. “The COVID-19 pandemic taught us the importance of having broadband connectivity, and this project will help our community stay better connected.”

On Tuesday, County Council approved a fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreement with Tri-County Electric that will provide a more favorable property tax rate over a 30-year period.

“We're proud to make this investment in Richland County to provide broadband to previously underserved areas,” said Chad Lowder, CEO of Tri-County Electric. “This is a further commitment from Tri-County and its leadership team to provide essential services to citizens in our service territory."

Based in St. Matthews, Tri-County Electric is a member-owned electric utility serving Calhoun, Kershaw, Lexington, Orangeburg, Richland and Sumter counties. It was founded in 1940.

The cooperative’s Richland County office is at 11335 Garners Ferry Road, Eastover.

This press release was produced by the Richland County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.