Due to its public-private partnerships across Alabama, C Spire is building an all-fiber Gigabit broadband internet across the Yellowhammer State.
Through its subsidiary Troy Cable, C Spire has secured eight state grants and a federal grant to deploy fiber across the state, particularly in rural areas.
The grants, made available by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs and the federal Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, hold an overall worth of $40.7 million.
All projects have been delivered on time or ahead of schedule and greater than expectations, according to C Spire. The mobile operator company has also applied to participate in the state middle-mile grant program with ADECA.
While an award has yet to be announced, the proposed network includes a statewide build of more than $130 million that will support, catalyze and facilitate future last-mile projects by partnering with a variety of nonprofit and for profit entities.
C Spire is 18 months into a $500 million investment on fiber infrastructure and network enhancements in Alabama to provide ultra-fast broadband internet access for consumers and other advanced voice and data services to businesses.
The company’s plan is part of a three-year initiative, first announced in January 2021, to invest $1 billion across Alabama and Mississippi. This is C Spire’s largest capital spend in the firm’s history.
The initiative is accelerating the deployment of fiber across both states, delivering vital services to underserved, rural areas. C Spire is also completing a 243 mile long haul fiber initiative from Meridian, Miss. to Homewood.
C Spire/Troy Cable provides connectivity to 17 electrical cooperatives, rural telephone companies, or fixed wireless providers in Alabama and Mississippi, and also provides fiber backhaul to more than 800 cellular service tower sites.
Ben Moncrief, C Spire’s executive vice president of Alabama, touched on the company’s efforts to bring crucial broadband services to underserved communities in both states.
“These grants and partnerships, along with our own investment are bringing ultra-fast fiber to rural communities across the state, encouraging private sector broadband investment and leveraging existing resources to residents and businesses in Alabama,” said Moncrief. “It’s a win-win initiative that will bolster Alabama and Mississippi as tech leaders in the Southeast.”
The recent ADECA grant C Spire applied for includes $51 million from the American Rescue Plan Act State Fiscal Recovery Fund and $34 million from the ARPA Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Revenue Replacement Fund.
Through forward-looking leadership, Alabama is widely considered to be the nation’s leader in broadband expansion planning efforts.
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This grant will support the improvement and expansion of broadband network access to Alabamians. C Spire’s grant effort is to expand middle-mile connectivity to as much of Alabama as possible to fuel innovation, investment and last-mile broadband deployment.
C Spire’s broadband project will provide ultra-fast, all-fiber services to more than 200,000 homes and business by 2025 in Alabama and Mississippi, according to a news release.
When completed, the project is expected to expand next-generation, ultra-fast gigabit broadband services to more than two dozen markets across the Yellowhammer State.
Jake Cowen, C Spire Fiber senior vice president and general manager, said the investment is expected to generate hundreds of new direct jobs in Alabama.
“We have a strong reputation of providing world-class products and services to consumers and businesses and this investment signals that we intend to deliver these benefits faster than ever before,” said Cowen.
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He said the investment would result in millions of dollars in secondary economic benefits for both states through partnerships with firms that will help C Spire with the massive infrastructure deployment and construction efforts.
C Spire has already launched Gigabit broadband fiber for consumers in more than 50 cities across Alabama, with construction underway in several other communities.
“This is a game-changer, helping grow the economy and improving the quality of life for everyone,” said Cowen.
The Business Council of Alabama, which has 2,662 members, estimates that around 5,000 new businesses would benefit from C Spire’s broadband infrastructure improvements.
Dylan Smith is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL
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