DartPoints Helps to Bridge Digital Divide in South Carolina

DartPoints Helps to Bridge Digital Divide in South Carolina

Data Center Company that Recently Acquired Greenville-Based Immedion Bolsters Internet Connectivity and Tech Capabilities for the ‘Silicon Valley of the South’

Greenville, SC — June 23, 2021 – DartPoints, an owner and operator of edge colocation data centers, brings its unique internet connectivity ecosystem model to South Carolina, helping to bridge the digital divide for local businesses and residents. DartPoints has closed the deal to acquire Immedion, a Greenville-based provider of colocation, cloud and managed services with a 14-plus-year track record of reliable local solutions and customer support. DartPoints has acquired Immedion’s eight data centers in seven markets throughout South Carolina, North Carolina, Ohio and Indiana – more than doubling DartPoints’ data center footprint.

In addition to operating four South Carolina data centers and offering colocation, cloud and managed services to area businesses, DartPoints provides the internet exchange point (IX or IXP) where telecom carriers, internet service providers, enterprises, hyperscale cloud providers and more connect locally. DartPoints’ IXs enable each ecosystem partner to exchange internet traffic and interconnect directly through peering instead of relying on third-party networks to carry traffic across the internet, an expensive process that puts smaller carriers and markets at a disadvantage. DartPoints brings data storage and processing directly to the South Carolina “edge,” which reduces latency, improves internet performance and provides cost-effective access to global internet networks.

DartPoints’ IXs, proven to be catalysts for digital transformation at the community level, reduce transit costs for telecom carriers significantly, which boosts competition and drives down the cost of broadband. With thriving partner ecosystems that cultivate interconnection and empower network expansion, DartPoints’ edge data centers and IXs are transforming the way data traffic is managed, processed and fulfilled within local markets.

“With data centers in Greenville, Charleston, Columbia and Spartanburg, we’re proud to serve this state’s growing economy and help to ensure all businesses and residents can access high-speed internet,” states Scott Willis, CEO of DartPoints. “The pandemic shed light on the alarming digital divide in South Carolina and the lack of high-performing internet infrastructure across the state, and we’re doing our part to close that gap. DartPoints is delivering on our strategy to improve regional interconnection beyond this country’s major cities, particularly to underserved markets that need it most, taking another step toward ensuring every American has access to fast, reliable connectivity.”

South Carolina, a major technology hub that houses the Charleston Digital Corridor, the vibrant tech center of Greenville and more, has significant need for physical internet infrastructure to support growing broadband requirements. According to BroadbandNow, 344,000 people in South Carolina lack access to the Federal Communication Commission’s standard for reliable internet. The Palmetto State is ranked 31st when it comes to state broadband access. Meanwhile, economic recovery is happening quickly; South Carolina’s unemployment rate is within two percentage points of the pre-pandemic rate, global trade from the state has remained strong, and remote workers are moving to the area in droves, Greenville Business Magazine reports.

“Modern internet infrastructure is critical to ensuring South Carolinians can access online learning and telehealth services, accelerate agribusiness operations, and explore entrepreneurial opportunities – no matter where they live,” said Bob Morgan, President and CEO of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce. “The experts at DartPoints, including the former Immedion team that boasts almost 15 years of local service, are helping South Carolina businesses compete globally and ushering the state into a post-pandemic economic upturn.”

All former Immedion employees were offered positions at DartPoints. In 2020, DartPoints received investment funding from Astra Capital Management, initiating an aggressive plan to expand its edge interconnection solutions to underserved markets.