Back at it: Controversial internet companies resume work in Midlands after previous damage
A pair of controversial fiber optic companies will be back at work in Lexington soon after the town shut down its operations there for two months.
Ripple Fiber will soon begin work installing fiber optic internet cables around town, part of a plan to boost internet speeds around the area. That work had been paused by the town since January after workers struck a gas line in the Woodcreek neighborhood, severing service to residents and leading police to temporarily shut down access to the area.
Ripple resumed work in Lexington on March 17. A town spokesperson confirmed the company has resumed work.
That spokesperson also confirmed that on Wednesday, Lexington gave the green light to another fiber optic company, Lumos, to resume work inside the town limits as well.
Lumos was ordered to stop work earlier this month after a water main strike left the Westbrook area without water service for 24 hours. That was the latest in a string of controversies in both Columbia and Lexington County that have halted work by Lumos due to damage caused by its crews’ digging.
The Ripple restart comes after “multiple meetings and process agreements” with Lexington and other utility providers, the company said in a news release on Monday.
“We are grateful to Mayor [Hazel] Livingston for her leadership and to the Town Council and Administration for their support in making one of Lexington’s largest infrastructure projects a reality,” Greg Wilson, the founder and CEO of Ripple Fiber, said in the release. “We’re committed to completing this build with minimal disruption and look forward to connecting the remaining homes in Lexington town limits.”
Residents should expect to get a door hanger about a week before Ripple starts work in their neighborhood, with any associated property damage fully restored afterward, the company said. Executives also pledged to communicate its activities better with the town and other utilities.
After the company previously damaged a gas line, the town held a meeting with Ripple and a half-dozen other agencies to lay out what updates would be required before the company would be allowed to bury any more cable in the town limits. It was the second time in the past year Ripple had been blocked from working in Lexington because of similar issues and public complaints.
Incidents such as the ones caused by Ripple and Lumos in Lexington have led multiple jurisdictions across the Midlands to halt fiber optic expansion in recent years. But those halts have always been temporary, because state law allows utilities access to public right-of-ways so they can install and manage their services.
But local officials say they will continue to monitor the utility’s operations closely.
“Our priority has always been the safety and well-being of our residents,” Mayor Hazel Livingston said in a statement. “We appreciate the cooperation of all parties in working together to resolve these issues. Moving forward, we will continue to monitor things to ensure the expectations set forth are met.”
Ripple said it has connected around 10,000 households in Lexington County to its high-speed network, with about 1,000 still remaining inside the Lexington town limits to be connected this year.
“While large-scale infrastructure projects can pose temporary disruptions, Ripple Fiber is dedicated to minimizing impacts on the community and bringing high-speed internet to the area,” the company said in a statement. “This critical infrastructure will deliver significant benefits to Lexington residents, supporting their needs today and in the future.”
Ripple says residents can report their concerns on the company’s website, or at its local office at 1520 N. Lake Drive, or by calling its customer service line at 800-359-5767.
This story was originally published March 25, 2025 at 1:32 PM.
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