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 10,275 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.

• Excess water supply of 58.5 million gallons per day.
• Water 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.
• Excess wastewater capacity of 25 million gallons per day.

Water & Sewer Providers

(1 Gallon = 3.78 Liters)

Berkeley County Water & Sanitation Authority (BCW & SA)
	Water		Sewer
Daily Capacity	gallons: 8.0 million liters: 30.3 million		gallons: 22.5 million liters: 85.2 million
Average Daily Use	gallons: 5.7 million liters: 21.6 million		gallons: 10.7 million liters: 40.5 million
Daily Peak Use	gallons: 7.1 million liters: 26.9 million		gallons: 14 million liters: 52.9 million
Charleston Water System
	Water		Sewer
Daily Capacity	gallons: 118.0 million liters: 446.0 million		gallons: 37.5 million liters: 136.0 million
Average Daily Use	gallons: 54.5 million liters: 206.3 million		gallons: 22.0 million liters: 83.3 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: 2.1 million liters: 7.9 million		See BCW & SA
Daily Peak Use	gallons: 3.5 million liters: 13.2 million		See BCW & SA
Dorchester County Water and Sewer
	Water		Sewer
Daily Capacity	Purchased from Charleston WS		gallons: 8.0 million liters: 30.3 million
Average Daily Use	Purchased from Charleston WS		gallons: 3.0 million liters: 11.4 million
Daily Peak Use	Purchased from Charleston WS		gallons: 3.2 million liters: 12.1 million
Moncks Corner Public Works Commission
	Water		Sewer
Daily Capacity	gallons: 3.5 million liters: 13.2 million		gallons: 1.6 million liters: 6.0 million
Average Daily Use	gallons: 0.9 million liters: 3.4 million		gallons: 1.1 million liters: 4.2 million
Daily Peak Use	gallons: 1.3 million liters: 4.9 million		gallons: 1.5 million liters: 5.7 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: 47.6 million		gallons: 9.7 million liters: 36.7 million
Average Daily Use	gallons: 8.4 million liters: 31.8 million		gallons: 6.4 million liters: 24.2 million
Daily Peak Use	gallons: 12.5 million liters: 47.3 million		gallons: 8.8 million liters: 33.3 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: 14.0 million liters: 52.9 million
Daily Peak Use	Provided by Charleston WS		gallons: 42.0 million liters: 159.0 million
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: 7.0 million liters: 26.5 million		gallons: 5.6 million liters: 21.2 million
Daily Peak Use	gallons 11.9 million liters: 45.0 million		gallons: 9.8 million liters: 37.1 million