Mississippi company jumps into 1 Gbps fiber race

Mississippi-based C Spire – formerly Cellular South – began installing fiber optic cable in the Jackson suburb of Ridgeland. Although its ultimate goal is a statewide 1 Gbps network, it has begun with a more modest program – one that rival Google has tried – by soliciting registrations in select cities and neighborhoods.

As it lays a projected 4600 miles of fiber optic cable, C Spire and community allies have “rallied residents in four of the cities to pre-register at levels that qualify six areas, including the entire town of Quitman, for the service.” After a $10 pre-registration fee.

Prices for the service appear to be competitive. According to C Spire, “the 1 Gbps Internet access will be available for $70 a month, $90 a month for combined Internet and home phone, $130 for Internet and HD digital TV and $150 a month for the entire package of all three services.”

There’s no doubt that Mississippi could use an improvement in broadband services, with speeds measured well below the national average. But the company mission is “to move the Magnolia state from worst to first in national rankings for average Internet speeds and consumer access to super-fast broadband services.”

It’s an optimistic program and, like all the announced 1Gbps plans, it’s not clear if it will succeed.

C Spire Celebrates Start of Construction for Mississippi’s Next-Generation 1 Gbps Fiber to the Home Service Offering 100 Times Faster Internet Access (C Spire, May 8, 2014)
http://www.cspire.com/company_info/about/news_detail.jsp?entryId=20400013