C-Spire, the wireless provider headquartered in Ridgeland, Miss., will launch a new state of the art initiative called ‘C-Spire Fiber to Home’ which provides an ultra-fast one-gigabyte Internet connection, plus home phone and television over fiber optic connections directly to the home.
The wireless provider will choose the most interested city to provide their service.
C-Spire CEO Hu Meena made the announcement on Sept. 22 at a news conference at the C-Spire headquarters.
“We know that unlocking the potential of next generation technology for the communities we serve requires taking optical fiber all the way to their door,” Meena said. “As a brand that’s been pushing the envelope of innovation our entire existence, it’s only natural for us to want to provide the ‘what’s next’ to the customers we serve.”
C-Spire’s website says it requires speed to action from the local government. A community that streamlines construction permitting and fast tracks an attractive local franchise agreement is better positioned to be first with this new technology, but C-Spire is looking for leaders to think outside of the box.
Ward 5 alderman Scott Maynard said from the economic development standpoint, gigabyte fiber service serves as a magnet for industry and business in the 52 cities which enjoy it in the country.
“We hope that if we can secure this, it will help from an economic development standpoint as well  as drawing more high-tech industry into the city,” Maynard said.
 
C-Spire looks to begin this initiative early next year. The support of local entities and resident pre-registration will be key factors in announcement timing.
Lynn Spruill, owner of Spruill Properties and former city administrator said Starkville focuses on excellence in services, and this would fit in with that desire to be progressive in how Starkville moves into the future.
“It is an extraordinary opportunity for Starkville in that it will cement the status that Starkville currently enjoys as a research and technology leader in the state of Mississippi. It folds in the ability of the university to promote the learning environment in a way that exists in few other areas and puts us on the forefront of any future technology development in the state,” Spruill said.
In 2011, Google launched a one-gigabyte fiber service in Kansas City. C Spire takes this same technology to launch its new initiative. 
Timothy Griffin, director of IT infrastructure at Mississippi State University, said he believes this technology will not have a direct impact on MSU because the university is connected to the outside world by the Mississippi optical network.
“We’ve got 20 gigabytes of speed for the shared part of the campus for connectivity to the Internet and to other research institutions in Mississippi. Every student who lives on campus or a fraternity/sorority house has gigabyte speeds through wired ports,” Griffin said. 
Currently, C-Spire has opened community applications for this service. The selection of the city will have two phases. Phase one consists of a request for information to local entities, combined with individual interest registrations. At the end of this phase, C-Spire will choose one or more finalist locations.
Phase two will challenge individuals to officially pre-register for service in neighborhoods of the finalist locations.
For more information log on to: www.c-spire.com/fiberhome.