# West Carolina

> West Carolina is a member-owned telecommunications cooperative founded in 1952 in Abbeville, South Carolina, that has grown from a rural phone company into a regional fiber-optic operator. It runs more than 7,500 miles of fiber reaching roughly 100,000 addresses across South Carolina and part of Georgia, selling gigabit internet, TV streaming, phone, home security, and managed IT to homes and businesses that the national carriers largely skipped.

- **Founded:** 1952
- **Headquarters:** Abbeville, South Carolina, United States
- **Founders:** John McAllister (Founding leader (led the cooperative for nearly 54 years))
- **Team size:** Approximately 180 employees
- **Products:** Fiber Internet, WiFi X / WiFi X App, TV & Streaming, Phone, Home Security & Automation
- **Notable:** Grew from a 1952 rural phone co-op into a regional fiber operator spanning more than 7,500 miles of fiber and roughly 100,000 addresses., Named a 2025 NTCA Smart Rural Community Showcase Award winner., Designated a nationally recognized Smart Rural Community and Certified Gig-Capable Provider.

## Products & services

- **Fiber Internet** — Symmetrical high-speed fiber internet up to gigabit-class for homes and businesses; certified Gig-Capable Provider by NTCA.
- **WiFi X / WiFi X App** — Managed whole-home WiFi with a mobile app for network control, parental controls, outdoor WiFi extension, and WiFi backup service.
- **TV & Streaming** — TV packages and streaming services with recommendations, delivered over the fiber network.
- **Phone** — Residential and business voice service, the co-op's original 1952 product.
- **Home Security & Automation** — Home security systems, monitoring, and smart-home automation for residential customers.
- **Business & Managed IT** — Business internet, hosted services, security system integration, and managed IT for regional businesses.

## Achievements

- Grew from a 1952 rural phone co-op into a regional fiber operator spanning more than 7,500 miles of fiber and roughly 100,000 addresses.
- Named a 2025 NTCA Smart Rural Community Showcase Award winner.
- Designated a nationally recognized Smart Rural Community and Certified Gig-Capable Provider.
- Ranked among the largest fiber providers in the United States (reported as the 75th largest).
- Kept Self Regional Healthcare and Anderson County Emergency Services connected during Hurricane Helene and opened its offices as public charging and connectivity hubs.

## Latest updates

- **2025-01** — Named a 2025 NTCA Smart Rural Community Showcase Award winner, cited in part for its Hurricane Helene disaster response.
- **2024-07** — WCTEL and WCFIBER united under a single 'West Carolina' brand on July 22, 2024, dropping 'Telephone' and 'Fiber' from the name.
- **2024-10** — Turned offices into public charging and connectivity hubs during Hurricane Helene and kept regional healthcare and emergency services online.

## Links

- Website: https://westcarolina.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/west-carolina1952
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/wctel
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WestCarolina/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/west-carolina
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-20