NEWBERRY — Already known as one of the most charming small towns in the country, Newberry is poised to become one of its most connected, with a fiber construction project currently underway by WCFIBER.
WCFIBER, part of West Carolina Tel in Abbeville, has currently built fiber to nearly 1,450 Newberry addresses. Construction is scheduled to be completed by April 3, 2020, at which point all residents and businesses in the City of Newberry will have access to Internet speeds up to 1,000 Megabits per second – commonly referred to as Gig internet.
“WCFIBER’s regional fiber network will help Newberry continue to attract industries and showcase the city as a top choice for both businesses and residents to relocate,” said West Carolina Tel CEO Jeff Wilson. “Having access to reliable, fast, and affordable Internet service will also benefit the city’s existing residents and businesses.”
“We’re known as the city of friendly folks. Now, we can add that we’re also a family- and business-friendly city with the fastest, most reliable internet,” said Newberry City Manager Matt DeWitt. “This technological upgrade certainly supports our efforts to combine ‘small town charm with big city amenities.’”
Fiber is quickly becoming a must-have utility, as vital as power and water to many, and is seen as an important driver of local economies. In fact, a 2016 study by the Fiber Broadband Association found that access to fiber had a positive and direct impact on home real estate values.
“More and more devices are Internet-capable, making the demand for more bandwidth critical. Whether it is family bonding while streaming movies together, or a business needing a reliable, fast connection to compete in a global economy, we know that fiber is the best solution,” said Wilson.