The broadband division of C Spire, a Mississippi-based diversified telecommunications and technology services company, will start construction on the next-generation technology later this month in 11 fiberhoods with plans to pass thousands of homes in the Jackson County town over the next several months. Service is planned for the first customers this summer.

Ocean Springs, with a population of 17,872 residents, is the latest Gulf Coast city to get the ultra-fast broadband services from C Spire Fiber. The company already has rolled out service in Diamondhead, Gulfport and Biloxi and is expected to announce additional markets, including the Mobile, Alabama area, soon.

C Spire Fiber is actively soliciting residents who want more reliable and faster broadband internet service based on the crowdsourcing model, which relies on homeowner demand to drive adoption. Consumers can place pre-orders for Gigabit fiber-based internet, Smart WiFi powered by Plume®, Home Protection Plan and digital home phone service at www.cspire.com/fiber.

“We’re excited about bringing high-capacity fiber broadband services that rely on a transformational and truly revolutionary technology infrastructure that will boost home and business values, broaden entertainment opportunities, help expand the local economy and improve the quality of life for Ocean Springs residents,” said Ashley Phillips, general manager of C Spire Fiber.

With many individuals and families forced to shelter in their homes for nearly a year due to the public health crisis, high-speed internet access has become a necessity for consumers who desire remote work access, student distance learning, internet-based streaming TV home entertainment, telehealth services and low-latency gaming, Phillips added.

“Fiber’s symmetric speeds – for example up to 940 Megabits per second upstream and downstream – are particularly important for interactive learning, remote work and telehealth applications beyond video streaming or surfing the web, which rely on fast download only speeds,” Phillips said, noting that C Spire Fiber has 12 times faster uploads than Xfinity in Mississippi.

Unlike some other internet service providers, C Spire Fiber has no data caps, cancellation fees or long-term contracts. The C Spire division provides exact appointment times, world-class 24/7/365 customer service and over 99.99 percent reliability.

C Spire is spending $1 billion over the next three years– the largest capital investment in company history – to accelerate the deployment of all-fiber Gigabit broadband internet and the next generation of 5G wireless technology in key parts of its service area. C Spire Fiber has recently been rated as Mississippi’s fastest internet service provider by Ookla®, the global leader in internet testing-analysis.

Local government and business leaders lauded C Spire’s decision to invest in the future of Ocean Springs. “Good, reliable, high-quality and fast broadband internet is as important to quality of life, home values and new jobs as affordable and dependable electricity and potable water,” said Ocean Springs Mayor Shea Dobson. “We appreciate C Spire choosing our community for this game-changing investment.”

“We’re excited about any and all growth in technology that is coming to the Gulf Coast and the boost it will be to our local economy, business expansion and job creation,” said Adele Lyons, CEO of the 920-member Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce, Inc. “This type of technology infrastructure is what this community needs to grow and prosper. We appreciate C Spire making the investment and having the vision to move Mississippi and the Gulf Coast forward.”

For more information about C Spire’s fiber broadband rollout in Ocean Springs, go to www.cspire.com/oceansprings. To pre-order service, determine if a home is located in a planned construction area or learn more about C Spire Fiber and its products and services, go to www.cspire.com/fiber.

About C Spire Fiber
C Spire Fiber is a division of C Spire, a privately-owned telecommunications and technology company driven to deliver the best experiences in wireless, fiber internet, and business IT solutions such as internet, VoIP, cloud and managed services. Read more news releases and announcements at www.cspire.com/news. For more information, visit cspire.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

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The project also will provide ultra-fast, all-fiber broadband services to over 200,000 homes and business by 2025 in Mississippi and Alabama, where the diversified telecommunications and technology services firm recently expanded its broadband internet availability, and result in faster delivery of 5G wireless technology in Mississippi markets.

When completed, the project is expected to expand next-generation, ultra-fast broadband services across Alabama and Mississippi. In Alabama, C Spire has plans to deliver all-fiber gigabit service in over two dozen Alabama markets. In Mississippi, fiber infrastructure will be expanded to within 1,000 feet of half of the state’s residential premises and deliver game-changing 5G service – the next generation of mobility – to nearly 600 sites covering over 60 percent of the state.

“We have a strong reputation of providing world-class products and services to consumers and businesses and this investment signals that we intend to deliver these benefits faster than ever before,” said C Spire CEO Hu Meena, noting that the firm will make the initial investment in three years with another $500 million in capital spending over a five-year period.

Meena said the investment is expected to generate at least 250 new direct jobs in Alabama and result in millions of dollars in secondary economic benefits for both states through contracts and agreements with firms who will help C Spire with the massive infrastructure deployment and construction efforts.

Meena noted that C Spire has already launched Gigabit broadband for consumers in Jasper, will offer service in Trussville next month and has plans to build robust fiber hoods in more than two dozen markets across Alabama as part of its Fiber Fast initiative.  “This is a game-changer, helping grow the economy and improving the quality of life for everyone,” he said.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said the C Spire investment in broadband infrastructure will help strengthen the state’s economy, education system, health care options and infrastructure investment efforts.  “C Spire’s investment and commitment to the expansion of all-fiber broadband services will help us make a difference in bridging the digital divide, which is a real challenge in our state, especially in rural areas,” she added.

Business executives also expressed support for the C Spire investment initiative, including the 2,662-member Business Council of Alabama, whose President and CEO Katie Boyd Britt noted that up to 5,000 new businesses would benefit from the broadband infrastructure improvements.

“This decision by C Spire will help the BCA achieve our goals of growing the state’s $228 billion economy, creating jobs, and encouraging investment in Alabama,” Britt said, noting that the C Spire investment will help the organization further its “mission to create an environment where all businesses can grow and flourish.”

Meena said C Spire plans to move quickly and aggressively in 2021 to bring the cutting-edge technology benefits to consumers and businesses in both states, leveraging several recent acquisitions, including Teklinks and Harbor Communications, to accelerate its growth and expansion efforts.

To learn more about C Spire fiber broadband internet in Alabama, go to C Spire Fiber Fast.  For more information about C Spire products and services, visit www.cspire.com.

About C Spire  

C Spire is a privately-owned telecommunications and technology company driven to deliver the best experiences in wireless, fiber internet, and business IT solutions such as internet, VoIP, cloud and managed services.  Read more news releases and announcements at cspire.com/news.  For more information, visit cspire.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.        

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