Internet Speed: 16.5 Mbps downlink; 2.7 Mbps uplink

Population: 5 million

Internet Coverage: more than 80% of residents

Main Internet services: Cable, DSL, Fiber

Main Internet Service Providers: Comcast, AT&T, Home Telecom (regional)

Colocation Datacenters: 11

According to Akamai.com, the average downlink Internet speed in South Carolina is 16.5 Mbps and the average upload speed is 2.7 Mbps.

In 2016, the population of South Carolina was approximately 5 million. More than 80% of residents have access to the Internet, especially broadband connections.

Main Internet services provided in South Carolina are the following:

– Cable – over 90% coverage

– Cable – over 90% coverage

– DSL – over 85% coverage

– Fiber – less than 20% coverage

Main Internet Service Providers located in South Carolina are as follows:

– Comcast (Cable) – 90% availability

– Comcast (Cable) – 90% availability

– AT&T (DSL) – 80% availability

– Home Telecom – less than 20% availability

Gigabit Internet in South Carolina

In December 2016, Home Telecom, one of the biggest regional ISPs, announced that they would start rolling out gigabit Internet to Charleston, the largest city in South Carolina. Similar services had been previously provided by the same company in Summerville starting early 2013. The service is delivered primarily through existing coaxial copper lines, but concrete plans to roll out a modern fiber infrastructure are underway. The main motivation behind this plan is to entice more tech companies to invest in the region, as South Carolina is currently one of the slowest growing economies in the United States.

According to datacentermap.com, there are currently 11 colocation datacenters established in South Carolina. Most facilities are established in Charleston (3) and Columbia (3), followed by Greenville (2), Rock Hill (2), and other cities.

In Charleston, main colocation providers include the following:

– EBSData.net
– elink corp
– Immedion

In Columbia, main colocation providers are as follows:

– tw telecom
– ISG Technology
– Level 3 Communications

Prominent Colocation Providers – Immedion

One of the biggest colocation providers located in South Carolina is Immedion. They operate a total of two colocation datacenters in this state, followed by some 4 additional facilities established in North Carolina and Ohio respectively. The company specializes in providing wholesale and retail colocation services, in addition to diverse disaster recovery and business continuity solutions for customers coming from surrounding markets.

Prominent Colocation Providers – Level 3 Communications

Another important regional colocation provider is Level 3 Communications. They operate a 5,000-square-foot datacenter established in Columbia, which provides a total colocation space of 1,771 square feet. The facility features redundant UPS power equipment, backup generators, diverse fiber connectivity, and backhaul services upon request. The datacenter features carrier neutrality, with on-site access to over 5 telecommunications providers and other colocation providers, including but not limited to Comcast, AT&T and Home Telecom.

Colocation Industry in South Carolina

South Carolina is regarded as a secondary and even tertiary colocation market, because investments from large colocation providers are scarce or absent altogether. Current trends indicate that, in the next years, the state will not experience any major changes, and that demand for colocation will continue to be low. There are numerous reasons why the local market is not developed.

Disadvantages for Colocation – Obsolete Infrastructure

On the one hand, the state has a rather obsolete technical infrastructure which has not been improved in many years, and also because it is surrounded by other top or emerging markets, such as Virginia, New York, and New Jersey.

Disadvantages for Colocation – Natural Disasters

On the other hand, the state is not exempt from hazards, as floods and other natural disasters wreak havoc, especially in the southeastern part, where the most developed cities are actually located (see Charleston). This is partly the reason why some providers opted for building in the western part of this state (see Greenville), where the risk for natural disasters is lower than the state’s average and much lower than the national average.