Hargray completes network upgrade on Hilton Head

Hargray announced Tuesday it has completed a project to bring faster Internet speeds to Hilton Head Island businesses.

The utility company's undertaking cost more than $1 million and took about four months, according to Andrew Rein, vice president of sales and marketing.

"Businesses' Internet demands are skyrocketing," he said. "These improvements are designed to increase their network capacity and connection speed."

The company buried more than a mile of fiber-optic cable and installed new equipment on the island's south end. The changes were part of an islandwide commitment, Rein said, adding that his company has about 2,000 business subscribers on Hilton Head.

"We completed similar investments in the business districts on the northern end and mid-island over the summer, and these (upgrades) complete this considerable investment focused on Hilton Head Island businesses," he said.

The changes should help what had become a minor problem, said Jim Collett, chairman of the Greater Island Council's telecommunications task force.

"There have been concerns about" connection speed, Collett said. "So this is good news. We've talked a lot about cellphones, but Internet is also really important for businesses on this island."

Follow reporter Grant Martin at Twitter.com/LowCoBiz.

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