C Spire Announces Winners for Initiative to Bring Gigabit Speeds Across Mississippi
C Spire disclosed nine winners Monday for its “Get Fiber First” challenge to bring gigabit fiber service to communities in Mississippi. Batesville, Clinton, Corinth, Hattiesburg, Horn Lake, McComb, Quitman, Ridgeland and Starkville were selected from the 33 municipalities that submitted formal applications last month. In addition to the traditional request for information process, the municipalities had to show resident demand through rallies, town hall meetings, door-to-door canvassing and social media campaigns (CD Oct 22 p11).
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The finalists were announced at a C Spire and Fiber to the Home Council event to mark FTTH’s inaugural Gimme Fiber Day, said FTTH President Heather Burnett Gold at the event. “C Spire and its government partners have taken control of their own broadband destiny and are making the investments necessary to future-proof the communities of Mississippi, ensuring the state is poised to compete and succeed in the 21st-century economy,” said Gold. “With this infrastructure, and this commitment by private enterprise, Mississippians are laying the foundation for leading the future. We hope others will learn from your example and follow your lead.”
C Spire’s initiative will help the U.S. continue to be a “driving force in innovation and creativity” in the global economy, said FTTH Board Chairman Kevin Bourg. “Our communities and companies are taking action, refusing to wait around for the federal government to come fix their problems,” he said. “They are recognizing the immense power that FTTH brings, and investing in this infrastructure in order to future-proof their cities and towns."
Gov. Phil Bryant agreed the C Spire initiative will bring more innovation to the state. “Communities in Mississippi are taking control of their broadband destiny,” said Bryant, a Republican. “We can help lead the way for the U.S. to be an innovative leader around the world.” Joe Reardon, former Kansas City, Kan., mayor, said getting Google Fiber in Kansas City had a significant impact on his city. “We are seeing the impact with new businesses coming and young people moving back to the city,” he said. “Homes are selling at higher prices because of Google Fiber."
Representatives from Starkville visited Chattanooga, Tenn., before the C Spire’s RFI was released to learn how to build a network in their community, said Starkville Mayor Parker Wiseman. Chattanooga’s network, facilitated by the city-owned utility company EPB, had an immediate impact on the quality of life there, said Wiseman. “Services are immediately enhanced, and online government services are feasibly possible.” Wiseman knew he had to get a fiber network to Starkville but he thought that it would take several years, he said. “We had no idea how we were going to get there, but September 24 [when the RFI was released] changed all of that for us."
Elected officials and community leaders will rally their communities to pre-register homeowners in designated neighborhoods at designated levels to qualify them to be the first buildout of C Spire’s service, said Vice President Greg Logan. Residents will be asked to make a $10 refundable deposit and provide credit card information when they pre-register, he said. One Gbps Internet access will be available for $80 a month, $100 a month for combined Internet and home phone, $140 a month for Internet and digital TV and $160 a month for the entire package, said Logan. C Spire hopes to launch its gigabit service by the middle of next year, he said. (sfriedman@warren-news.com)