Telecommunications and technology services company C Spire is expanding its 20,000 miles of fiber infrastructure and will soon provide multi-gigabit home fiber internet with speeds of up to 8GB to thousands of homes in Meridian, the company announced Wednesday.
The new building will add 90 miles of fiber optics and supporting infrastructure to Meridian. Construction on the first of 34 communities is underway and is expected to be completed by June 2024. Other communities are expected to be completed within the next 12-18 months.
“Prioritizing fiber infrastructure is critical to C Spire because connectivity is a catalyst that transforms communities, drives innovation, attracts investment and drives economic growth,” said Toby Dubois, general manager of home services at C Spire. “We are investing hundreds of millions in Meridian million to provide residents with the benefits of ultra-fast, reliable home internet that meets their needs now and into the future.”
C Spire first launched fiber service to Mississippi cities in 2014 and has built a network covering more than 150 communities in Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and Tennessee.
“I’m pleased that C Spire is investing so much in technology into our community,” said Mayor Jimmie Smith. “This will benefit our citizens through advanced wireless services.”
C Spire has invested $1 billion since 2021, in part to accelerate fiber deployment in Alabama and Mississippi. Part of the plan includes a 243-mile long-haul fiber plan from Meridian to Homewood, Alabama, serving underserved rural areas.
“We are very excited about the addition of C Spire’s ultra-fast fiber optic service to our community,” said Bill Hannah, President and CEO of the East Mississippi Business Development Corporation. “Fibre-optic infrastructure throughout our communities is critical to our economic landscape, meeting a variety of needs from education and healthcare to business expansion while increasing home values.”
C Spire began providing wireless service in the Meridian area in 2001 and now provides fiber optic Internet service to businesses and residents, as well as a full suite of products to businesses and government entities.
Homeowners can now subscribe to residential fiber internet in the Meridian area by signing up at www.cspire.com/fibre. Local government, community and business leaders are calling on residents to sign up for the service.