 in Myrtle Beach, SC, a new dark fiber route linking Myrtle Beach){kind=link}
ATLANTA – October 4, 2022 – DC BLOX, a provider of multi-tenant data centers, dark fiber, and connectivity solutions that delivers the infrastructure essential to power today’s digital business, announces today the groundbreaking on its new international subsea cable landing station (CLS) in Myrtle Beach, SC. In addition, a new dark fiber route linking Myrtle Beach with the connectivity hub of the Southeast in Atlanta is also under construction. The 15 megawatt CLS is expected to be available in the second quarter of 2023, while the fiber route will be completed in the first quarter 2024.
“We are celebrating the groundbreaking of the new Myrtle Beach cable landing station and the highly anticipated East-West dark fiber route across the Southeast. We thank all of our partners and local government officials who are helping to drive the development of this digital infrastructure across the region,” states Jeff Uphues, CEO of DC BLOX. “The rapid growth we are seeing in cities across the Southeast demand state-of-the-art digital infrastructure to enable local businesses and communities to stay connected, communicate, compete and thrive in the global economy.”
DC BLOX is partnering with hyperscale cloud providers, global carriers and tech giants, regional communications providers, local governments, and industry partners to accelerate the development of critically needed digital infrastructure for the rapidly growing Southeastern markets. DC BLOX was selected as the CLS operator due to the company’s expertise in developing and operating secure, reliable, Tier III-designed data centers and its ability to develop dark fiber capacity in the region.
“As digital transformation drives the growth of cloud, distributed infrastructure and next-generation applications, DC BLOX is positioning itself as a leader at offering worldwide connectivity,” said South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster. “Today, we celebrate their presence in our state and look forward to the positive impact they will have in Horry County and across South Carolina.”
DC BLOX’s nearly 500-mile dark fiber route will be the first, high-capacity East-to-West fiber path from South Carolina through Georgia. It will connect from the Myrtle Beach CLS, through Charleston, Augusta, and Atlanta landing in Lithia Springs, Georgia with eight strategically located network aggregation facilities enabling regional cloud computing, wireless services, local content distribution and broadband access to underserved areas in both South Carolina and Georgia. The CLS facility in Myrtle Beach will be connected to five pre-positioned ocean bore pipes configured for up to five subsea cables originating from other continents. In addition, traditional colocation for communications providers, local enterprises, governments, and customer partner networks will be available.
“South Carolina is home to some of the most innovative and advanced operations that are shaping the world we live in,” said South Carolina Secretary of Commerce Harry M. Lightsey III. “Companies like DC BLOX send a significant signal that our state is embracing the future and is making the moves now to create opportunities down the road.”
“It has been a pleasure working with the DC BLOX team and we are excited to see the project come to fruition,” said Sandy Davis, President of the Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corporation. “Our organization has targeted the technology industry for over a decade and this company is exactly what we have been hoping for. DC BLOX will house multiple subsea cables coming into Horry County, the first such facility in the state of South Carolina, and we are so happy to share in their celebration.”
What:
DC BLOX begins construction of the new CLS and dark fiber cable route which will connect Myrtle Beach, SC, businesses to major markets in Charleston, Augusta, and Atlanta, Georgia. Special guests at the event included South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, Brenda Bethune, Mayor of Myrtle Beach, and Jeff Uphughs, CEO of DC BLOX, to support the company’s groundbreaking.
Why it’s important:
When construction is complete in Q2 of 2023, the CLS, designed to Uptime Institute’s Tier III standards, will offer space for five subsea cables. This facility is DC BLOX’s second location in South Carolina, alongside its Greenville, SC, data center. This announcement follows the hiring of DC BLOX’s new Senior Vice President of Capital Markets and Strategy, Melih Ileri, to lead DC BLOX’s strategy throughout Southeast markets.