Google is helping to power Myrtle Beach’s economy through this $31M project.

It took less than a year for DC BLOX to physically build a piece of Myrtle Beach’s economic future.

The Atlanta-based data center construction firm’s latest project at the city’s International Technology and Aerospace Park includes a network of five powerful subterranean cables to let companies like Google boost their data capacity globally — with a focus on emerging markets in Africa, the Caribbean and South America.

“DC BLOX’s investments in digital infrastructure in South Carolina, including the new Myrtle Beach Cable Landing Station, are providing the essential foundation to fuel significant economic advancement across our state,” Gov. Henry McMaster said in a statement ahead of an Oct. 10 tour of the facility.

Google has already announced two subsea cables feeding into the DC BLOX site will link Myrtle beach to Argentina, Bermuda, Brazil, Portugal and Uruguay, with another set to connect with a node in Spain.

“South Carolina is a growing innovation hub, bringing in new economic opportunities through digital infrastructure and other technology investments,” Lee Livingston, Google’s director of partnerships, said in a statement.

Cable landing stations help provide cloud capacity for major tech companies including Amazon, Google and Microsoft.

Over the past several years, officials have focused on modernizing the state’s internet ecosystem.

The General Assembly in 2020 approved using $50 million for broadband initiatives related to COVID-19.

This story was originally published October 10, 2023 at 2:01 PM.