Letters to the Editor - October 15, 2020

Mark Smith is qualified candidate

 

My wife, Billie, and I have lived on Daniel Island for 21 years and watched with wonder as our community has grown and prospered. In order to keep good, healthy and prosperous growth in the future we must elect the best leaders we can, and that is why I am urging everyone to vote for Mark Smith to represent us in the South Carolina House of Representatives.

 

Mark is the best person to lead our district as we look to the future. Mark Smith is the most qualified person I have known over the years to be our representative in Columbia. His character, work ethic and business experience is solid and exactly what we need in these times and in the future. 

 

Please join me in electing Mark Smith to the SC House of Representatives on Nov. 3. You will be glad you did!

 

Jerry Bacon

Daniel Island

 

Affordable home internet access needed

 

In your Sept. 10 Business Briefs, you had an article highlighting Home Telecom’s offer for affordable internet service to qualifying families. The Community Connect program is for families with school-aged children who are facing financial hardship.

 

They are offering high speed internet service for $9.95 per month with no activation or equipment fees and no worry about price increases.

 

I applaud Home Telecom for this generous gesture. However, I am aware of a problem with this opportunity. On Dec. 7, 2006, the 72-unit affordable housing complex, Seven Farms Apartments, was dedicated.

 

The housing in this community hosts families that fall well within the requirements of Home Telecom for their discounted services. However, they are not able to take advantage of the offer because they currently do not have access to a fiber optic internet connection.

 

Students need to have high speed, low latency internet access that fiber provides in order to participate in a remote classroom atmosphere.

 

I’ve been in the networking industry for over 35 years and I know that, without access to affordable high-speed internet, the students residing in Seven Farms Apartments will not be able to keep up with the demands required to succeed in a remote learning environment.

 

It is my hope that this letter may inspire the leaders of this community to look into a solution to this problem.

 

Carl Wist

Daniel Island

 

Editor’s Note: Home Telecom confirmed that fiber optic access is not available at this complex and they said in a statement, “Home Telecom was not provided an easement by the builders of the complex that would have allowed us to provide fiber optics infrastructure. We are unable to provide our telecommunications services to these tenants for this reason. It was not a decision made by Home Telecom.”