C Spire Enables Gigabit Fiber Internet in Jasper, Alabama

C Spire, making good on its broadband expansion promise into neighboring states, started connecting the first Alabama customers this month to its ultra-fast, fiber-based Gigabit broadband internet and related services.

Some Jasper residents are the first to receive the game-changing services in the state with parts of Trussville set to start receiving the services later this month. Additional communities, including Pelham, Helena, Northport, Tuscaloosa and parts of Mobile County, have executed franchise agreements with C Spire and are on the drawing board for construction and service in 2021.

As part of its expansion efforts, the diversified telecommunications and technology services company also is actively soliciting interest from other Alabama communities and towns who want more reliable and faster broadband internet service based on the firm’s crowdsourcing model, which relies on homeowner, business and renter demand to drive adoption.

C Spire executives celebrated the company’s progress with a press briefing today in front of the home of Dr. Gary Cowen, one of the first customers to receive the services and a member of the Jasper City Council. “The installation was smooth, the internet access is super-fast and now I can really move forward with my smart home plans,” Cowen said.

Alabama ranks 38th in the nation in broadband access and state leaders have made access to fast, reliable and affordable internet for rural areas a priority through state funding and creation of the Alabama Rural Broadband Coalition, a group of community, business and government leaders dedicated to job creation, economic development and business growth.

“We’re excited about bringing high-capacity fiber broadband services, which rely on a transformational and truly revolutionary technology infrastructure that will boost home and business values, broaden entertainment opportunities, help expand local economies and improve the quality of life for residents in Jasper and other parts of Alabama,” said Ashley Phillips, general manager of C Spire Home.

“Fiber’s symmetric speeds – for example up to 940 Megabits per second upstream and downstream – are particularly important for interactive learning, remote work and telehealth applications beyond streaming video or surfing the web, which rely on fast download internet speeds,” Phillips added.

Consumers in the northern portion of Jasper and in neighborhoods scattered across Trussville now have access to C Spire’s Gigabit fiber-based internet, Smart WiFi powered by Plume®, Home Protection Plan and digital home phone service. Residents who want to order the service should go to www.cspire.com/ALFiberHome. Businesses interested in ultra-fast internet access can complete an address validation form found online at www.cspire.com/ALfiber to learn what services they can receive.

Unlike other internet service providers, C Spire Fiber has no data caps, cancellation fees or long-term contracts and does not use pricing promotions and gimmicks. The C Spire division prides itself with its commitment to exact appointment times, world-class customer service and over 99.99 percent reliability.

As the first city in Alabama to receive C Spire Fiber, Jasper Mayor David O’Mary said the town plans to leverage the infrastructure to help continue the city’s progress to improve the quality of life for residents and the economic environment for businesses. “C Spire Fiber will help us add jobs, diversify and grow our economy well into the future,” he said.

Alabama State Senator Greg Reed of Jasper, the Senate Majority Leader who championed 2018 state legislation to pave the way for broadband expansion, said the partnership with C Spire and others will help the state achieve its broadband objectives.

"Alabama’s economic future depends on bridging the digital divide for small towns and rural communities like ours throughout the state, and the addition of C Spire’s high-speed, all-fiber broadband internet service to Jasper and Walker County will benefit all of us,” Reed said.

“This is truly a game-changer when you think about school children embracing online learning and many parents working at home right now due to the public health emergency,” Reed added. ”Faster, better broadband internet connectivity also helps attract new businesses and the jobs they bring. That’s a win-win for everybody. We are greatly appreciative to have a wonderful company like C Spire investing in Alabama’s infrastructure and its people.”

C Spire has rolled out ultra-fast Gigabit internet access and related services to tens of thousands of consumers, businesses and local and state government operations in Mississippi, boosting overall broadband access in the state by 200 percent since 2014. The firm was recently named the fastest internet service provider in Mississippi by Ookla, the global leader in internet testing and analysis.

The privately-held company, which has been in business over 32 years and provides wireless, broadband and managed business and data services in Mississippi, other states and across the country, plans to deploy its ultra-fast, all fiber Gigabit broadband internet access and related services to more homes and business in Alabama in the near future.