What CarolinaConnect does

CarolinaConnect is a cooperative-owned fiber-to-the-home internet service provider founded in 2016 by three South Carolina electric cooperatives — Aiken Electric Cooperative, Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative, and Newberry Electric Cooperative — and headquartered in Lexington, SC. The company delivers symmetric fiber broadband at speeds ranging from 350 Mbps to 8 Gbps to residential and business customers across regional South Carolina service areas, leveraging the pole infrastructure, rights-of-way, and member relationships of its founding co-ops. Its product portfolio spans four residential tiers ($49.95–$149.95/month), four business tiers up to $349.95/month for 8 Gbps symmetric service, VoIP home and business phone, a $40/month mobile wireless line on 4G LTE/5G, an outdoor Wi-Fi add-on, managed IT services, hosted business phone systems, and security camera configurations delivered via a partnership with West Carolina.

The underlying technology is a fiber optic access network with Wi-Fi 7 routers in premium residential tiers, complemented by the Connect CC mobile app for network management, parental controls, and cyber security alerts. The business model is purely subscription-recurring, anchored in monthly residential and SMB contracts with no-gimmick all-in pricing, no installation fees for co-op members, and no residential contracts; additional recurring streams come from VoIP, mobile, managed services, and the Lifeline federal benefit program. Go-to-market is hybrid: top-of-funnel through partner cooperative websites and the CarolinaConnect site, bottom-of-funnel through a sales phone line (803.785.3455) and self-serve mobile app, with the company reporting an NPS of 90 against an industry average of 16 and a 9-out-of-10 customer recommendation rate. Leadership includes CEO Glenn Martin (10 years tenure), COO Al Harman (30-year telecom veteran), VP Administrative Operations DeeDee K. Laramore, and VP Marketing Pamela Trimnal (joined 2025). The entity operates as a member-owned cooperative with no venture funding, no parent company, no disclosed subsidiaries, and no M&A activity in the source data.

Name

CarolinaConnect

Legal name

CarolinaConnect Cooperative

Website

https://carolinaconnect.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CarolinaConnect is a cooperative-owned fiber optic internet service provider founded in 2016 by three South Carolina electric cooperatives, delivering symmetric broadband up to 8 Gbps plus mobile, VoIP, and managed IT services to residential and SMB customers across regional South Carolina cooperative territories.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Telecommunications / Fiber Optic Internet Services

NAICS

Wired Telecommunications Carriers (517111), Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (517112)

SIC

Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813)

akta.pro primary industry

Fiber ISPs (FTTH/FTTP Retail Providers) (HDAIADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP/FTTH) Broadband Providers (HDAIABAC), Fiber-to-the-Premises/Building (FTTP/FTTB) Operators (HDAIACAC)

Keywords

• Fiber optic internet
• Residential broadband
• Business internet services
• VoIP telephone
• Mobile wireless service

Headquarters

HQ city

Lexington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Residential Internet Subscriptions: Monthly recurring subscription fees for fiber optic internet service at various speed tiers (350 Mbps to 8 Gbps), with all-in pricing including equipment
2. Business Internet Subscriptions: Monthly recurring subscriptions for business-class fiber optic internet with higher bandwidth tiers and business-grade features
3. Mobile Wireless Service: Unlimited talk, text and data mobile plan on 4G LTE/5G network, priced at $40/month per line
4. VoIP Telephone Service: Voice over Internet Protocol home telephone service for $24.95/month
5. Outdoor Wi-Fi Add-on: Monthly add-on service for outdoor Wi-Fi coverage at $14.95/month
6. Managed Services: Wireless networking, firewalls, network security and other managed IT functions for businesses
7. Hosted Business Phone Systems: Cloud-based telecom solutions providing scalable voice service
8. Security Camera Configurations: Self-monitored security camera systems for business facilities

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CarolinaConnect delivers fiber optic broadband internet to residential and business customers across South Carolina through partner electric cooperatives, with speeds ranging from 350 Mbps to 8 Gbps. The portfolio also includes VoIP home phone, mobile wireless service on 4G LTE/5G, managed business IT services, hosted business phone systems, and security camera configurations.

Product overview

CarolinaConnect is a fiber optic internet service provider formed by electric cooperatives in 2016. The company offers residential and business internet plans ranging from 350 Mbps to 8 Gbps symmetric speeds via fiber optic networks built through partner electric co-ops (Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative, Aiken Electric Cooperative, and Newberry Electric Cooperative). The product portfolio includes four residential tiers (Digital Architect, Tech Enthusiast, Connected Family, Digital Minimalist) and four business tiers (Business Connect+ and Business Connect), supplemented by VoIP phone service, Outdoor Wi-Fi add-on, mobile wireless service, and the Connect CC mobile app for network management. Business customers can also access managed services, hosted phone systems, and security camera configurations through a partnership with West Carolina.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Net Promoter Score of 90, six times higher than industry average of 16
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Aiken Electric CooperativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Partner electric cooperative providing fiber optic network infrastructure and service area for CarolinaConnect internet services in Aiken County and surrounding areas including Town of Springfield, Town of Williston, Town of Windsor, Aiken County Beech Island, and Gaston Area Dominion Grant Area.
• Mid-Carolina Electric CooperativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Partner electric cooperative providing fiber optic network infrastructure for CarolinaConnect services across extensive service areas in Lexington County and surrounding communities including Barr, Gilbert, Edmund, Lake Murray, Circle, and numerous other zones.
• Newberry Electric CooperativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Partner electric cooperative providing fiber optic network for CarolinaConnect services covering New Hope, Belfast, Blair, Fairview, Hollands, Newberry, Prosperity, Riley, Stoney, Trinity and other service zones.
• West CarolinaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTrusted South Carolina cooperative since 1952 engaged in telecom and local communities. Partnership provides business managed services including networking, security cameras, and hosted phone systems. Consultation through (803) 768-5288 or [email protected].

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lumos Fiber: Lumos is a regional fiber-to-the-home ISP operating across the Carolinas, Virginia, and adjacent states, offering multi-gigabit residential and business fiber with similar co-op-adjacent footprints. Directly comparable to CarolinaConnect on product (FTTH gigabit+) and target market (rural/suburban Carolinas).
• Metronet: Metronet is a multi-state fiber ISP delivering symmetric gigabit+ internet to residential and business customers in the Midwest and South. Comparable product set (symmetric fiber, managed Wi-Fi, business services) and a similar mid-tier pricing structure to CarolinaConnect.
• GoNetspeed: GoNetspeed is a fiber ISP rolling out multi-gigabit service across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. Comparable as a regional fiber overbuilder targeting tier-2 and tier-3 markets with similar gigabit+ residential and business offerings.
• Brightspeed: Brightspeed is a fiber-focused ISP serving rural and suburban markets across 20 states, primarily via legacy Lumen assets. Comparable product offering (fiber broadband, voice, managed services) and overlap with CarolinaConnect's rural Carolinas footprint.
• Race Communications: Race Communications is a fiber ISP serving underserved communities in California, Texas, and the Southeast. Comparable as a regional fiber overbuilder targeting suburban/rural customers with multi-gigabit residential and business tiers.

Regional players

• Comporium: Comporium is a regional telecom operating in the Carolinas offering fiber internet, video, voice, and managed business services. Comparable product stack and Carolinas geography make it a direct regional competitor, though it is significantly larger and broader in scope.
• Horry Telephone Cooperative (HTC): Horry Telephone Cooperative is a South Carolina-based cooperative telecom providing fiber internet, video, voice, and mobile to Myrtle Beach-area co-op members. Directly comparable cooperative ISP business model and SC footprint, making it a relevant regional peer.

Broad incumbents

• AT&T Fiber: AT&T Fiber is the national incumbent's fiber-to-the-home service offering multi-gigabit residential and business broadband. Comparable product and speed tiers, with significantly broader footprint and scale that position it as a competitive incumbent in any adjacent SC market CarolinaConnect may target.
• Spectrum (Charter Communications): Spectrum is the dominant cable broadband provider in South Carolina, delivering up to 1 Gbps internet with bundled mobile/television. Direct competitor in CarolinaConnect's service areas for residential broadband share, with broader scale and triple-play bundle offering.
• TDS Telecom: TDS Telecom is a regional incumbent serving rural and suburban markets across 30+ states with fiber, cable, DSL, and managed business services. Comparable rural fiber ISP footprint and product breadth make it a relevant competitor in adjacent Carolinas markets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CarolinaConnectSC
• Instagraminstagram.com/carolina_connectsc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carolina-connect

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CarolinaConnect