C Spire CEO: ‘Fiber networks are a must to deliver speed’
C Spire, a Mississippi-based service provider, revealed its largest capital spend in the company’s history: a $1 billion investment plan to accelerate the deployment of 5G — which is began rolling out in October 2020 — and all-fiber Gigabit broadband Internet in Alabama and Mississippi. According to the company, more than 200,000 homes and businesses will be impacted by the investment within the next four years.
“This project is all about speed,” C Spire CEO Hu Meena commented. “And fiber networks are a must to deliver speed.”
Meena added a few notes regarding the expected impact of the investment, claiming that the project will result in at least 250 new jobs, while in Mississippi, fiber infrastructure will expand to within 1,000 feet of half of the state’s residential premises, delivering enhanced connectivity to roughly 600 sites covering over 60% of the state.
“This is a game-changer, helping grow the economy and improving the quality of life for everyone,” he said.
During a news conference last week, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey called the development “an incredible milestone for Alabama,” and referenced the ongoing need for improved data access as a result of the ongoing. She added that the project, which will bring high-speed internet to a significant percentage of the state’s rural population, will go a long way in eliminating the digital divide.
“Ultimately, less than a third of Alabamians enjoy access to broadband today, placing Alabama behind all of its neighboring states,” Ivey said. “Broadband Internet connectivity should be available to every Alabamian, regardless of where their home is located or what their level of income may be.”
Initial investments will take place over the next three years, explained Meena, with another $500 million in capital spending over a five-year period.
