News & Residential Blog

Chances are most of you have heard the term “smart home” used in media reports and conversations lately, and with the steady growth of the “internet of things,” you are likely to hear it used more as time moves on. 

The best way for parents to keep their kids safe online is by combining website, app and usage restrictions with proper online-safety education. As more devices offer internet access and younger children become increasingly tech-savvy, staying vigilant about children’s online…

Most Facebook users have seen the signs of a Facebook account hack before. Whether it is questionable posts from friends or seeing their birthdays changed within the accounts, signs of Facebook hacking often leave users feeling uneasy, or worse, can…

The last worry you want when going on vacation is the safety of your home. Statistics show that the highest percentage of burglaries occur in the summer months. The easiest way to prevent this worry is by protecting your home prior to leaving. Here are a few easy home safety tips you can implement before going away on that much-needed getaway:

The cloud and cloud computing refer to the process of storing computer files and programs on external servers rather than locally on a device’s hard drive and then remotely accessing the files and programs via an internet connection. In this…

So you’ve got your new home office all set up, complete with blazing-fast Internet and reliable Voice services from FTC, and you’re ready to hit the ground running on your latest work project. While working from home can offer numerous advantages over working from the office, the relaxed atmosphere can also present an array of challenges. 

With a coverage area of 3,000 square miles, FTC has been committed to providing cutting-edge communications technology to the residents of Clarendon, lower Florence, Lee, Sumter and Williamsburg counties for more than 70 years. Offering television, wireless and home phone…

FTC offers across-the-board discounts on its service to those in the military and their families in our South Carolina service areas. Active-duty members of the military can receive a 10% discount on Internet, Phone, Security, and TV plus a 25%…

The two best ways to extend Wi-Fi range in a home are to add a Wi-Fi range extender and additional router or to add a mesh network. Each solution has its own place, so it is crucial to understand the…

In today’s modern homes and offices, the internet has become more than a luxury. We need fast connections throughout our daily lives for not only the online surfing and searches that first sparked our reliance on the internet, but also for things like streaming TV shows and music, keeping our homes and workplaces secure, and in some especially advanced settings, even for controlling the lights and air conditioning, locking the doors, answering the doorbell, and starting the coffee maker with our smartphones.

How To Control Data Usage on a Child’s Phone Giving a child a mobile phone offers a direct line of communication with the child and a way to monitor their location at any time. But with these benefits comes the…

Statistics from the State Law Enforcement Division show the property crime rate in South Carolina has been steadily declining since 2011, including in each of the counties within FTC’s service territory. Unfortunately, homeowners can never entirely eliminate the possibility of…

VoIP is an alternative way to make and receive telephone calls, using the internet instead of the public telephone network. Also known as “internet telephony” or “IP telephone” because of its use of internet communication wires, VoIP is an abbreviation…

Used to connect consumers’ smartphones, tablets and computers — as well as televisions, video doorbells, air-conditioning systems, door locks and lots more — to the digital world, the internet has become a near-ubiquitous part of modern life. And while many…

For most homes, a good download speed is between 50 Mbps and 250 Mbps, depending on the number of devices simultaneously in use. A 250 Mbps connection allows a family of four to stream TV, movies and games on multiple…

While the official peak of the holiday gift-giving season may still be weeks away on Christmas Day, for FTC TV subscribers, a huge present is coming just days from now. This early December gift should be a very welcome one…

Fiber internet is a broadband internet connection that uses fiber cables, which are more efficient than traditional communication wires, to relay data at increased speeds with reduced lag times. This modern technology allows for internet speeds of up to 1…

In the digital age, it is a persistent question for parents, especially among those raising younger kids: How much screen time is OK for a growing child? Most experts suggest that for children it should be limited to two hours…

With Thanksgiving among its highlights, November is already a month that is strongly associated with giving thanks. And this November, FTC is giving its subscribers even more reason to put some gratitude on the menu this fall season! Beginning on…

He’s jolly, he’s bearded and he’s coming back! Santa is suiting up to pay a special visit to the FTC stores for Santa Photo Days Nov. 7 – Nov. 22. And this year, he’s bringing Mrs. Claus along with him!…

How To Get on the Do Not Call List & What To Do When It Does Not Work By now, many are fed up with incessant and unwanted telemarketing calls and have put their phone numbers on the National Do…

When young, inexperienced drivers are getting behind the wheel, safety concerns are always paramount for their loved ones. And for today’s teenagers, who are learning to navigate the roads in the digital age, the potential for distracted driving might be…

In the past, when on-the-go workers needed an internet connection for their digital devices such as laptops and tablets, they were forced to flock to coffee shops, libraries and other (often crowded) places offering public Wi-Fi. But thanks to an…