Nearly 47 percent of South Carolina homes can now plug into a fiber-optic line, and they can do it without signing a contract. The latest BroadbandNow map shows 46.6 percent of addresses sit inside a live fiber zone.
According to the South Carolina Office of Regulatory Staff, a $551 million BEAD award in 2023 pushed providers to trench glass statewide, from the Upstate to the Lowcountry.
For you, that build-out means gig-speed service you can start or stop anytime—no ETFs, no twelve-month “gotcha” renewals. This guide sizes up the best month-to-month plans, explains our scoring method, and shows how to swap providers with zero downtime.
A fast scan of this grid shows which plans stay affordable, how quickly they move data, and whether any hidden strings appear in the fine print.
South Carolina fiber internet availability map (BroadbandNow).
Keep this table nearby as we review each provider. You will see how the numbers translate into real-world speed, reliability, and support once the fiber light turns on.
We screened every broadband option in South Carolina against four must-have traits, so the shortlist relies on data instead of guesswork.
First, speed. Each plan had to advertise at least 100 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up, the FCC’s minimum for high-speed service.
Second, freedom. A true month-to-month plan with no early-termination fee was mandatory. Any provider that locks best pricing behind a contract failed the test.
Third, data. Unlimited had to mean unlimited. We rejected hard caps or surprise overage bills. We allowed clearly stated network-management clauses, because you deserve to know when heavy use could slow traffic.
Fourth, reach. A plan needed live fiber in at least two distinct South Carolina regions. One-street wonders did not qualify.
We then scored each finalist: performance and price counted for 30 percent each, coverage for 20 percent, and customer satisfaction for 20 percent. The top five appear next. If a new fiber crew pulls past your driveway, use this rubric to judge its offer in minutes.
WOW! residential fiber internet is the newest fiber player in South Carolina, shifting from cable to a full fiber network and lighting its first Greenville County homes in 2024.
Its fiber page spotlights symmetrical uploads and downloads, no annual contracts, unlimited data, and a $39.99-for-500 Mbps starter plan—all details you can confirm in seconds using the on-page availability checker.
Crews plan to pass roughly 30,000 additional addresses and are already trialing 5-gig tiers.
The flagship offer is clear: 500 Mbps symmetric service for $39.99 a month for twelve months, then $70. Every plan is month-to-month, so you can leave whenever another deal beats it.
Field tests echo the brochure. Downloads and uploads match the advertised 500 Mbps, latency sits in the low twenties, and unlimited data keeps gamers, streamers, and remote workers happy.
Equipment is a bonus rather than an upsell. WOW! ships a Wi-Fi 6E gateway at no extra charge, and current build-out areas get free professional installation. Early customer reviews praise the responsive local techs.
Coverage is still limited. Today the fiber lines reach parts of Mauldin, Simpsonville, and several Charleston suburbs. If your block isn’t lit yet, check WOW!’s construction map each quarter; once crews pull orange conduit past your driveway, you can schedule service the same week.
AT&T has laid fiber across Columbia, Charleston, Greenville, and dozens of suburbs for more than a decade, so its network now pairs deep reach with polished operations.
Pricing is simple. Internet 300 costs fifty-five dollars each month, hardware included, and the rate never spikes after a promo window. One-gig service runs eighty. Both plans stay month-to-month because AT&T removed fiber contracts years ago.
AT&T Fiber Internet 300 no-contract plan screenshot.
Speed and stability back up the price. Independent tests show single-digit latency and downloads that match the advertised tier. The 2024 American Customer Satisfaction Index ranks AT&T first among fiber providers with a score of 80 out of 100, according to Telecompetitor.
Perks add more value: an included Wi-Fi 6 gateway, ActiveArmor security, and frequent one-hundred-dollar Visa gift cards for online orders. Installation is free; high-demand areas may wait up to a week for a tech visit.
Rural pockets still rely on older DSL, but the fiber footprint expands every quarter. If your address qualifies, AT&T delivers steady speeds, unlimited data, and proven customer support without locking you into a term agreement.
Kinetic targets rural South Carolina, replacing old copper with fiber in more than twenty counties so small towns can finally tap gigabit speeds without a contract.
The typical plan delivers 500 Mbps symmetric service for about forty dollars during the first year, then roughly fifty. A one-gig tier lands just under eighty. Windstream offers a twelve-month price guarantee that caps the bill but never locks you into a term.
The speed jump is obvious. Homes that crawled on 10 Mbps DSL now stream 4K video on several screens while kids game over low-teens latency. Unlimited data means no one has to track usage, and long loop lengths no longer hurt performance.
Install day can run long in the country because crews may trench a new drop from the nearest pole and splice fresh enclosures. Most customers say the wait is worth it once the first speed test confirms triple-digit uploads.
Coverage still looks spotty, so enter your exact address on Kinetic’s site. If fiber is live, you can sign up today. If not, join the interest list; Windstream often flips clusters once enough neighbors raise their hands.
Along the Grand Strand, HTC trucks connect homes to a member-owned co-op network founded in 1952. Profits flow back into more fiber, faster backbones, and added perks.
Pricing is clear. A one-gig symmetric plan costs $79.95 per month. Dropping to 300 or 500 Mbps trims roughly twenty dollars. The only extra is a ten-dollar rental for the ONT-router combo, waived if you bring your own gear or catch a seasonal promo.
Performance stays solid even during tourist peaks. HTC completed a 100-gig core upgrade in 2024, so latency hovers in the low teens and uploads mirror downloads while unlimited data keeps vacation rentals streaming.
Support sets HTC apart. Need a long driveway extension? A local rep answers, schedules a visit, and often waives minor fees for co-op members. After hurricanes, crews roll out quickly, which builds lasting loyalty.
Coverage is limited to Horry and parts of Georgetown County. If you live east of Conway or inland to Loris, HTC offers fast, contract-free service rooted in the community.
Comporium has served York and Lancaster counties for decades and quietly upgraded its Zipstream network to fiber instead of starting from scratch. Most homes in Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Indian Land, and Lancaster can now order a dedicated gigabit line from the local provider they already know.
Pricing is straightforward. One-gig service lists at ninety-nine dollars, but new customers often see a seventy-five-dollar promo for year one. Lower tiers at 600 or 300 Mbps shave more from the bill. Every plan is month-to-month, and the first 30 days include a satisfaction guarantee. Unlimited data is standard, and the included gateway supplies both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands.
Performance rivals national brands. Latency into Charlotte backbone hubs stays below ten milliseconds, and download speeds remain steady during Friday-night streaming peaks. Some neighborhoods still use legacy cable loops, yet Comporium upgrades blocks in waves and moves customers to fiber without restart fees the moment it reaches the curb.
Local service remains the biggest differentiator. Need a gateway swap the same day? A Main Street storefront handles it. Bundling TV, security, or mobile service trims a few more dollars from the bill. For residents who prefer a familiar face over national hotlines, Comporium offers contract-free gigabit backed by neighbors who live and work nearby.
Some South Carolina neighborhoods still sit a few utility poles away from the next fiber splice. That gap does not force you into a long commitment or slow service.
Cable is the most common stop-gap. Spectrum covers much of the state and sells every tier, from 300 Mbps to 1 Gbps, on a month-to-month basis. Uploads are slimmer than fiber, yet downloads stay fast enough for streaming and remote work. When a fiber crew finishes your street, you can cancel Spectrum without penalty and switch the same week.
If towers outnumber coax lines near your home, fixed wireless helps. T-Mobile and Verizon each offer a plug-and-play 5G modem that runs on standard power and activates in minutes. Typical speeds land between 100 and 300 Mbps, latency sits near 30 milliseconds, and the flat fifty-dollar bill avoids overage fees. Speeds can dip during tower congestion, but many rural or rental households accept that trade-off for flexibility.
Starlink fills the final blank spots on the map. Pay once for the dish, mount it on the roof, and you can pull 50 to 200 Mbps almost anywhere in the state. Service runs month-to-month, so you can resell the dish and drop the plan when terrestrial fiber arrives.
Bottom line: even before fiber crews knock on your door, you have solid, contract-free ways to stay online and productive.
Contract-free fiber now reaches nearly half of South Carolina addresses, offering gigabit-level speed without locking households into long commitments. By focusing on performance, freedom, unlimited data, and provider reach, you can choose a plan that meets today’s needs and pivot easily when an even better offer lights up your street.
