Connect SC releases Broadband Availability Figures

New research unveiled by Connect South Carolina shows that 91% of rural households in the Palmetto State have access to fixed broadband service of at least 3 Mbps download and 768 Kbps upload, increasing from last October’s availability figure of 90.89%. This is the seventh comprehensive broadband availability data refresh since the State Broadband Initiative data collection started in 2010. “As simple broadband access continues to increase throughout the state of South Carolina, we are now able to focus on increasing the speed of Internet services provided and encourage the adoption and use of these services,” said Connect South Carolina State Program Manager Heather Jones. “There is great potential in South Carolina to reach rural and other unserved areas and we will continue to work with communities to provide access and support the use of high-speed broadband services in hopes of connecting the entire state to the digital economy.” Among the findings of the new broadband availability research are 93.22% of all South Carolina households now have access to fixed broadband service of at least 3 Mbps download and 768 Kbps upload, excluding mobile and satellite services; 77% of all South Carolina households have access to 50 Mbps download and 1.5 Mbps upload fixed broadband service, excluding mobile and satellite services. 1,744,455 out of 1,801,181 households in South Carolina have access to a fixed wireless or wired broadband service offering at least 768 Kbps downstream and 200 Kbps upstream. This figure excludes mobile and satellite services and leaves 56,700 households without access to fixed broadband service. Availability at 10 Mbps download and 1.5 Mbps upload, including mobile wireless, increased by 2.8% since October, while fixed wireless availability at 768 Kbps download and 200 Kbps upload in South Carolina decreased by 3.25%. There are currently 8 providers in South Carolina that offer fiber-to-the-home broadband services, providing 8.4% of households with access to this type of service. Nonprofit Connect South Carolina has been working since late 2009 to ensure that South Carolina residents have access to the economic, educational, and quality of life benefits derived from increased broadband access, adoption, and use. Part of that work includes maintaining detailed analysis of broadband availability across the state to support broadband planning efforts.