The Charleston region features a fiber optic, digital, IP-based network that offers businesses highly reliable, state-of-the-art communications services. Businesses in the Charleston region tap into everything from the latest feature-rich voice and data services to advanced wireless solutions - all provided by leaders in the telecommunications industry.

Unique characteristics include:

• Instant rerouting ensured by dozens of fiber optic SONET rings. Fiber connections are available to nearly all major buildings and industrial sites, ensuring continuous communications.
• Numerous digital switching offices located throughout the market.
• More than 90% of the region's telecommunications lines are buried.
• AT&T's Network Reliability Centers monitor systems and perform 24/7 diagnostic checks on the company's core switching and transmission network. The company's local Emergency Operations Center in Summerville allows for quick, on-site recovery.

Digital Switching Systems

• The Charleston region has 19 digital switching offices.

Broadband Data & Internet Services Available

• DS1, DS3
• OC 3, OC 12, OC 48 and OC 192
• Fiber Ring Redundancy
• Frame Relay
• Private Line Services
• Primary Rate ISDN
• Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM)
• Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM)
• Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)
• 10 or 100 MBPS Ethernet LAN
• Wide Area Metro-Ethernet
• Pinpoint 911 for Campus Security
• Gigabit Ethernet Service
• Dedicated Internet Access
• Managed VPN (Virtual Private Network)
• Multi Protocol Layer Switching (MPLS)
• A Full Range of Managed Data Services

South Carolina power generators use numerous fuel sources - such as oil, coal, nuclear, hydroelectric, natural gas and methane - to provide an abundant, reliable energy supply.

• Greater Charleston is served by two generating electric utilities with a combined capacity of 11,685 megawatts.
• The region is part of the South Carolina transmission grid, which is served by four generating utilities with a combined capacity of 19,721 megawatts.

Energy Providers

• SCANA - SCE&G and Carolina Gas Transmission Corp.
• Santee Cooper
• Berkeley Electric Cooperative
• Edisto Electric Cooperative

South Carolina's electricity rates are approximately 20-25% below the national average.

Water is a defining feature of the Charleston area. Companies here have access to an abundant, high-quality supply of fresh water to meet both current and future demands. Water is obtained through area lakes, rivers and wells (primarily the Edisto River and the Bushy Park Reservoir), eliminating the expense of bringing water in from elsewhere.

Water & Sewer Providers

(1 Gallon = 3.78 Liters)

Berkeley County Water & Sanitation Authority (BCW & SA)
	Water		Sewer
Daily Capacity	Serviced by Santee Cooper		gallons: 18.0 million liters: 38.1 million
Average Daily Use	Serviced by Santee Cooper		gallons: 10.3 million liters: 39.0 million
Daily Peak Use	Serviced by Santee Cooper		gallons: 14.9 million liters: 56.4 million
Charleston Water System
	Water		Sewer
Daily Capacity	gallons: 116.0 million liters: 439.1 million		gallons: 36.0 million liters: 136.3 million
Average Daily Use	gallons: 58.0 million liters: 219.6 million		gallons: 24.0 million liters: 90.9 million
Daily Peak Use	gallons: 80.0 million liters: 302.8 million		gallons: 28.0 million liters: 105.9 million
City of Goose Creek
	Water		Sewer
Daily Capacity	gallons: 5.9 million liters: 22.3 million		Treated at BCW & SA
Average Daily Use	gallons: 1.9 million liters: 7.5 million		Treated at BCW & SA
Daily Peak Use	gallons: 3.9 million liters: 14.9 million		Treated at BCW & SA
Dorchester County Water and Sewer
	Water		Sewer
Daily Capacity	Serviced by Charleston WS		gallons: 8.0 million liters: 30.3 million
Average Daily Use	Serviced by Charleston WS		gallons: 3.7 million liters: 14.0 million
Daily Peak Use	Serviced by Charleston WS		gallons: 6.4 million liters: 24.2 million
Moncks Corner Public Works Commission
	Water		Sewer
Daily Capacity	gallons: 3.5 million liters: 13.2 million		gallons: 3.2 million liters: 12.1 million
Average Daily Use	gallons: 0.9 million liters: 3.4 million		gallons: 1.1 million liters: 4.2 million
Daily Peak Use	gallons: 1.4 million liters: 5.3 million		gallons: 2.1 million liters: 7.9 million
Expansion plans: permit submitted to DHEC for plant upgrade.
Mt. Pleasant Waterworks and Sewer Commission
	Water		Sewer
Daily Capacity	gallons: 12.6 million liters: 47.7 million		gallons: 7.5 million liters: 28.4 million
Average Daily Use	gallons: 8.7 million liters: 32.9 million		gallons: 6.5 million liters: 24.6 million
Daily Peak Use	gallons: 12.1 million liters: 45.8 million		gallons: 7.8 million liters: 29.5 million
North Charleston Sewer District
	Water		Sewer
Daily Capacity	Provided by Charleston WS		gallons: 27.0 million liters: 102.0 million
Average Daily Use	Provided by Charleston WS		gallons: 21.0 million liters: 79.4 million
Daily Peak Use	Provided by Charleston WS		gallons: 26.0 million liters: 98.4 million
Expansion Plans: Expanding daily activity to 32 MGD by late summer 2009. Project will be ready for use in 2010.
Summerville Commissioners of Public Works
	Water		Sewer
Daily Capacity	gallons: 16.4 million liters: 62.1 million		gallons: 10.0 million liters: 37.8 million
Average Daily Use	gallons: 5.5 million liters: 20.7 million		gallons: 5.3 million liters: 20.1 million
Daily Peak Use	gallons 10.5 million liters: 39.8 million		gallons: 8.3 million liters: 31.4 million