Brightlio Blog

South Carolina is emerging as a significant player in the data center industry, attracting substantial investments from major technology companies. The state’s strategic location, evolving infrastructure, and business incentives contribute to its growing appeal for data center development.

South Carolina Data Center Infrastructure Overview

• Number of Data Centers: As of 2025, South Carolina hosts approximately 35 data centers across various regions, including Charleston, Columbia, Greenville, and Spartanburg.( baxtel.com )
• Power Capacity: The state’s data centers collectively offer around 482 megawatts of power capacity, supporting a range of operations from colocation to hyperscale facilities. (baxtel.com)
• Average Temperature: South Carolina experiences a humid subtropical climate, with average temperatures ranging from 38°F (3°C) in winter to 92°F (33°C) in summer, necessitating efficient cooling solutions for data centers.
• Internet Speed: The state boasts an average internet speed of 110.31 Mbps, placing it among the top five states in the U.S. for broadband performance. (datapandas.org)
• Energy Cost per kWh: Commercial electricity rates in South Carolina average 11.01 cents per kilowatt-hour, offering competitive energy costs for data center operations. (eia.gov)

Data Centers in South Carolina Gain Access to Global Fiber Routes

South Carolina has become a strategic location for data centers, thanks to its expanding fiber infrastructure and coastal position along the Atlantic. The state now hosts multiple subsea cable landings and strong terrestrial fiber networks, supporting international bandwidth and low-latency connections. For companies expanding in South Carolina, our facility can help meet demand for both international and regional network capacity.

Subsea Cable Landings at Myrtle Beach

The Myrtle Beach Cable Landing Station (CLS), developed by DC BLOX, is South Carolina’s first subsea cable landing site. Located in the International Technology & Aerospace Park (ITAP), the CLS can handle up to five subsea cables and provides colocation space for network and cable operators.

Notable subsea cables landing at Myrtle Beach include:

• Firmina: Operated by Google, this cable connects Myrtle Beach to Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay.
• Anjana: Owned by Meta’s subsidiary Edge Cable Holdings USA, this 7,121 km trans-Atlantic cable links Myrtle Beach to Santander, Spain, with a capacity of 480 Tbps.
• Nuvem: Another Google-operated cable, Nuvem connects Myrtle Beach to Portugal and Bermuda.
• Confluence-1: A planned subsea cable that will also land at the Myrtle Beach CLS.

Terrestrial Fiber Infrastructure

South Carolina’s terrestrial fiber network is supported by major providers:

• AT&T: Offers fiber internet services across various cities in South Carolina, including Charleston and Greenville.
• Segra: Provides high-speed, business-only fiber internet and connectivity solutions throughout the state.
• Lumen Technologies: Operates a nationwide fiber network that includes coverage in South Carolina.
• Lumos: Announced a $100 million investment to expand fiber-optic lines in Lexington and Richland Counties.

Strategic Connectivity

DC BLOX has constructed a high-capacity, low-latency dark fiber route connecting the Myrtle Beach CLS to Lithia Springs, Georgia, passing through Charleston, Augusta, and Atlanta. This route strengthens regional connectivity and provides direct access to major data centers in the Southeast. The line enhances an interconnected data center fabric that supports faster transfer rates and broader service reach across lowcountry data centers and beyond.

Tax Environment for Data Centers in South Carolina

South Carolina has historically offered tax incentives to attract data centers, including exemptions on sales tax for computer equipment and electricity, provided that the facility invested at least $50 million and created a minimum of 25 full-time jobs with compensation at least 150% of the state or county per capita income.

However, recent legislative actions have altered this structure. In April 2025, the South Carolina Senate voted to remove these sales tax exemptions for new data centers, citing concerns over their substantial electricity consumption and limited job creation. This decision reflects a growing sentiment that data centers should contribute more equitably to the costs associated with the infrastructure they utilize, especially when handling critical data security and digital security processes.

Additionally, the state’s energy policies have been adjusted to address the high power demands of data centers. New legislation mandates that data centers enter into 15-year contracts with utilities, ensuring they cover the costs of the energy infrastructure required to support their operations. This move aims to prevent the financial burden of new power plants from falling on other consumers.

Despite these changes, South Carolina continues to offer other tax incentives that may benefit data centers. These include property tax abatements through Fee-in-Lieu of Tax (FILOT) agreements, which can reduce assessment ratios and stabilize millage rates for up to 30 years. Corporate income tax credits, such as the Jobs Tax Credit and the Investment Tax Credit, remain available to qualifying businesses. Programs like the South Carolina Star Program and initiatives where the program works alongside organizations help attract and retain projects from every South Carolina based company that meets investment thresholds.

Major Data Center Developments

South Carolina has attracted significant investments from leading technology companies:

1. Lowcountry Google Data Center: $3.3 Billion Expansion

Google is investing $3.3 billion in South Carolina, adding two new data centers and expanding its Berkeley County site.

• Locations: New facilities at Pine Hill Business Campus (Ridgeville) and Winding Woods Commerce Park (St. George).
• Purpose: Supports AI workloads, Google Cloud, Search, YouTube, and enterprise services.
• Berkeley County: Adding advanced cooling, AI server clusters, and backup systems.
• Goal: Strengthen AI capacity, regional cloud zones, and disaster recovery.

2. Meta (Facebook): $800 Million Aiken County Data Center Campus

Meta is building a $800 million AI-focused data center in Aiken County.

• Focus: AI model training and inference for Meta AI, Llama models, and recommendation engines.
• Power: Uses renewable energy to match corporate sustainability goals.
• Design: Modular for rapid AI infrastructure growth.
• Goal: Expand AI services and improve network performance in the Southeast.

3. DC BLOX: 45-Megawatt Berkeley County Campus

DC BLOX is developing a 45MW data center in Berkeley County.

• Service: Colocation, private cloud, disaster recovery, and connectivity for enterprises and agencies. The facility reflects DC BLOX’s full range of infrastructure solutions designed to meet modern enterprise needs.
• Location Benefit: Access to fiber, subsea cables, and reliable power makes this lowcountry location attractive for regional deployments by South Carolina businesses.Scalability: High-density workloads, including AI and edge computing.

These developments indicate significant growth in South Carolina’s data center infrastructure, focusing on AI capabilities, renewable energy usage, and regional connectivity. Projects like this also help support job creation across the tech sector.

Data Center Services in South Carolina with Brightlio

If you are seeking colocation or data center services in South Carolina, Brightlio is ready to support you. We work with a network of trusted data center partners throughout the region, allowing us to present competitive colocation quotes that suit your business goals and financial priorities. As a telecom broker, our services come at no cost to you.

In addition to colocation, Brightlio provides related I.T. offerings, such as solutions from public cloud providers, unified communications, and internet service, making it easier to manage your full technology stack through one reliable partner.