ROCK HILL, S.C. – December 8, 2019 – Comporium, one of the nation’s leading independent telecom providers, will celebrate its 125th anniversary on December 10, 2019. Headquartered in Rock Hill, S.C., the company serves over 134,000 residential and business customers in South Carolina and North Carolina.
Comporium’s history dates back to 1894, when its parent organization, Rock Hill Telephone Company, was issued its charter by the State of South Carolina. The business was sold to E.L. and Mary Barnes in 1912; a total of 433 lines were in operation at that time. As the communications industry advanced, so did the company’s service offerings to customers. To reflect this growth, RHTC and 10 affiliated businesses became known as Comporium Group in 2001. The rebranding and reorganization signaled a new era for the privately-held company, where the fifth generation of the Barnes family is currently on the job and leading Comporium into the future.
“Regardless of whether industry changes brought major shifts to the marketplace or the latest advances to consumers, Comporium has remained at the forefront of telecommunications through strategic planning, commitment to constant innovation and devotion to customer service,” stated Comporium’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Matthew Dosch. “It’s a combination of dedicated employees and innovative thought that’s allowed us to evolve and respond to the changing world around us.”
Over the past 125 years, evolving technology meant many privately-owned telecoms were faced with major challenges. In order to keep pace with larger competitors, Comporium successfully transitioned its primary line of business from twisted pair to fiber, bringing leading-edge services to areas of the Carolinas that may not otherwise have had such resources.
The company’s numerous accomplishments serve as a testimony to the vision and diligence of its leaders and employees. Notable highlights from Comporium’s 125-year history include:
- Comporium was an industry leader in installing fiber-optic cable and provided direct connection to residences with fiber services.
- The company was the first provider in South Carolina to launch 1GB internet service.
- CN2, Comporium’s local television station, won an Emmy for “Television News Programming Excellence” at the 2014 Southeast Regional EMMYⓇ Awards.
- Comporium won the Charlotte Business Journal’s 2018 Family Business Award.
Today, Comporium provides a host of solutions to its residential and business customers. These include internet, voice, digital video, wireless, security monitoring and home automation, computer network services, and structured wiring and cabling. Areas served in South Carolina include York, Lancaster and Chester counties and parts of Lexington, Saluda, Edgefield, Orangeburg, Calhoun and Aiken counties. In North Carolina, full services are provided in Transylvania County and parts of Mecklenburg and Union Counties. Business services are available throughout the Charlotte metro region.
As Comporium looks to the future and how it will meet customer demands in coming years, the company is poised to release several new products. A recent partnership with Alarm.Com brings with it exciting new options for customers with ReadyHome, Comporium’s security and home automation service. Subscribers who are signed up for the company’s video product will soon have access to a new streaming video service that will have an over the top (OTT) feel. Comporium STREAM TV, is planned to launch to customers in the first quarter of 2020 and will provide live tv via an internet-based app. The company is also working to innovate its original product offering, voice, offering cloud-based business services outside of its traditional service footprint.
Behind the scenes, Comporium has recently made significant investments in upgrading its core network. Replacing hardware and upgrade connections, the company has moved to a mesh network. This means an even more reliable network for both residential and business customers. Comporium is also overhauling its Business Support System, sometimes referred to as its billing system. Both of these projects, expected to be completed during the next year, will give the company better tools to serve its customers now and in the future.
About Comporium
Comporium, Inc., headquartered in Rock Hill, S.C., is a diversified, privately-held communications company that employs nearly 1,100 people and provides broadband, TV, voice, wireless, smart home systems and advertising services throughout the Carolinas. Comporium’s ventures include companies providing business solutions, data storage and managed services, smart devices and connected home services, and digital signage. For more information, please visit www.comporium.com.
