Fort Mill logs into the high-speed internet world, joining Rock Hill and Tega Cay

John Marks
·2 min read

Fort Mill could be the next community in the Rock Hill region to get new, faster internet service.

Fort Mill Town Council has a franchise service agreement proposal from Google Fiber. On Monday night, The council unanimously approved the first of two votes needed to set up coverage. The agreement would let Google Fiber build, maintain and operate a new fiber optic network in town.

The agreement is non-exclusive, meaning it wouldn’t stop other companies from bringing fiber internet to Fort Mill.

In October, Google Fiber and the city of Tega Cay announced the company would expand into South Carolina for the first time with service there. Tega Cay extended the Google Fiber footprint already available in the Charlotte metro area. The company stated plans last fall to grow through Tega Cay into other parts of York County.

Google Fiber isn’t the only internet company eyeing the area

This month, fiber network builder Gigapower announced it would grow AT&T Fiber service into Rock Hill. It already has service in parts of western York County, plus Lake Wylie.

Fiber internet uses glass fiber cables and light waves to move data. It offers upload speeds much faster than other connection types.

Google Fiber submitted a franchise agreement request to set up fiber internet service in Fort Mill, after its expansion into South Carolina through Tega Cay.
Google Fiber submitted a franchise agreement request to set up fiber internet service in Fort Mill, after its expansion into South Carolina through Tega Cay.

About the high-speed internet plans

Google Fiber shows rates online from $70 a month for 1 Gig of internet service to $150 a month for 8 Gigs. Services include home internet, Wi-Fi, television and phone.

There are business options, too.

The franchise agreement in Fort Mill states the company would provide internet and voice-over-internet services, but not “multichannel video programming” that would require a separate video services franchise agreement.

The service won’t be available overnight. Fiber lines still have to be installed.

In Tega Cay, Google Fiber announced plans in October to extend service across the city but started installation work in late April. Last week, the city said crews would continue working through the end of the year as service expanded, after starting in the Cadence neighborhood and Dam Road area.

Fort Mill residents can enter their addresses at fiber.google.com for more information on when service may be available there.