We've been a part of the community for more than 70 years.
Company History
For over 70 years, Hargray has been connecting customers to each other and the world, growing from a local phone company to an industry leader providing residential, business, enterprise, and carrier wholesale communications services. Offering advanced ¹û½´ÊÓƵ, TV, and Phone communications services in a growing set of markets in South Carolina and Georgia, Hargray is committed to delivering the most advanced technology and the best service for its customers.
Hargray was established in Hardeeville, South Carolina, as a family-owned and -operated business called Harcan Telephone. By 1949, the company was providing Bluffton with landline telephone service, stretching to Hilton Head Island by 1958. In 1980, Hargray began offering cable television service, and by 2000, wireless phone and high-speed ¹û½´ÊÓƵ services had also been added to the product range.
In 2007, Hargray was acquired by Quadrangle Capital Partners. Since then, Hargray has grown into a regional communications company with over 2,000 route miles of fiber serving more than 80,000 customers.
In 2012, Hargray acquired Charter Communications’ Beaufort cable system. Hargray later added a full suite of data center services with the acquisition of iTech, a Savannah-based managed-services company. In 2015, Hargray acquired Plantation Cablevision in Georgia’s Lake Oconee region.
As the nation’s leading wireless carriers migrated to 4G infrastructure, Hargray become an industry leader in providing a pure fiber-based wide area network (WAN) to cellular towers throughout the region. By 2014, Hargray had secured contracts from all the major wireless companies to supply fiber connectivity to hundreds of carrier sites across Beaufort, Jasper and Hampton counties in South Carolina, and Bryan, Liberty, Bulloch and Chatham counties in Georgia.
With support from local government and business leaders, Hargray announced plans to bring high-speed ¹û½´ÊÓƵ services to the area under the Lowcountry Broadband Plan. Construction began in 2015 to install fiber and upgrades to its existing network. Hargray became the first provider to offer and deliver Gig speeds to many residents and businesses in Beaufort, Bluffton, Hilton Head Island, Hinesville, Macon, Savannah, Statesboro, Valdosta, and plans to make Gig speeds available to other communities soon.
Hargray invests heavily into the communities it serves. With more than 800 employees living in the communities it serves, Hargray embraces its important role in the economic health of the region. From providing products and services that promote businesses and enable commerce, to supporting over 75 local events and charities annually, Hargray is committed to enhancing the lives of everyone in our service areas.
In 2017, an investment group led by The Pritzker Organization acquired Hargray, providing additional support to pursue its considerable growth potential. In 2018, Hargray continued its expansion in Middle Georgia with the acquisition of ComSouth serving Hawkinsville and Perry, as well as, new fiber network installation in Warner Robins, Georgia. Today, Hargray provides services to Beaufort, Jasper, and Hampton counties in South Carolina, and Bibb, Bulloch, Chatham, Greene, Houston, Liberty, Lowndes, Putnam, and Tattnall counties in Georgia, and in early 2019 announced plans for upcoming expansion into Alabama and Florida with the acquisition of USA Communications in Pell City, AL and Dark Fiber Systems in Jacksonville, FL.
In October 2020, Cable One became a 15% minority investor in Hargray by contributing its system serving Anniston, Alabama and surrounding areas to the company. In February 2021, Cable One announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the remaining equity interests in Hargray, expanding its presence into the Southeastern U.S. and enabling Cable One to capitalize on Hargray’s experience and expertise in fiber expansion. The transaction closed on May 3, 2021.