(Photo from C Spire website)
- The company said that the completion of this work, ahead of schedule and on budget, demonstrates C Spire’s commitment to using taxpayer dollars efficiently while providing communities with future-proof infrastructure to serve their long-term technology needs.
There have been numerous studies on high-speed fiber connectivity and its impact on local communities. From digital literacy to its impact on business and commerce, the addition of a high-speed broadband infrastructure can mean the difference between attracting residents and businesses to a community or watching that community fade away.
Matt Peaster joined C Spire in 2019 and currently serves as the company’s executive vice president of fiber. In this role, he is responsible for the profitable growth of the company’s fiber connectivity network across residential, small business, and multi-dwelling unit segments. Peaster is focused on fiber network strategy and operations, significantly contributing to C Spire’s rapid expansion of its fiber connectivity business.
This week, C Spire announced that the company has completed its allocation of the Mississippi Capital Projects Fund. Through this initiative, the company provided home fiber access to more than 14,000 residences and 18,530 undeveloped lots from Amite to Lincoln to Lamar to Madison to Desoto and Hinds counties. It also positively impacted some of the most underserved communities in Mississippi.
Peaster said a home’s value increases 3.1% or more when it has access to high-speed broadband internet.
“And in terms of desired amenities, the availability of high-speed broadband internet is second only to laundry rooms,” he noted.
Saying that small towns are easily forgotten when they do not have access to high-speed broadband internet, Peaster explained that this project has been a life-changing addition to towns like Magee, Lumberson, Gloster, and others.
“We added fiber connectivity to towns from the northern part of the state to the southern regions, often completely building out many of those towns. They needed better connectivity to recruit new residents and businesses to their communities,” Peaster said.
C Spire was awarded the grant through the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s $10 billion program that funds critical capital projects to ensure all communities have access to high-quality, modern infrastructure, including broadband, needed to access critical services.
The Mississippi project, administered at the state level by the Office of Broadband Expansion and Accessibility of Mississippi (BEAM), was part of $164 million in total funds allocated to the Magnolia State for the construction and deployment of broadband infrastructure to deliver service that reliably meets or exceeds symmetrical speeds of 100Mbps.
Sally Doty, Director of BEAM, said reliable, high‑speed internet is essential to daily life for Mississippi residents, “and the BEAM office is committed to expanding this connectivity at the pace required to keep our state competitive.”
“The Capital Projects Fund was intentionally designed to deliver swift, high‑impact results, and C Spire’s execution reflects that vision,” Doty said. “A company long recognized for its leadership in wireless service, C Spire has now become a driving force in advancing high‑speed internet access. Their swift completion of this project delivers immediate economic value and strengthens the connectivity that will support innovation, workforce growth, and future investment across our state.”
The company said that the completion of this work, ahead of schedule and on budget, demonstrates C Spire’s commitment to using taxpayer dollars efficiently while providing communities with future-proof infrastructure to serve their long-term technology needs.
C Spire matched all funds provided by the state.
“We often put up 30% to 60% of the build costs, so we have a major investment in this,” Peaster explained. “We worked well with the state, and we are appreciative of their help. We are excited by what we have accomplished together, and that we have been able to be good stewards of the money.”
Suzy Hays, President and CEO of C Spire, said the completion of the Capital Projects Fund Grant Program reflects the company’s history of strengthening communities in meaningful ways to improve lives, support technology advancement, and expand connectivity for all Mississippians.
“Expanding fiber across our state is how we are going to compete in the next phase of connected living, as demand for high-speed, internet-enabled smart homes, seamless AI-enhanced experiences, and 5G connectivity will continue to increase,” Hays said.
In addition to work completed for the Capital Projects Fund, C Spire continues expanding its fiber network across Mississippi. In the past year, the company has invested $60 million in new fiber installations, installed 1,000 miles of new fiber for a total of 12,200 miles across Mississippi, and passed through 37,500 new homes, for a total of 217,900 Mississippi homes. The area served reached into Hinds and Tate counties and cities such as Meridian, McComb, Columbia, Southaven, and Philadelphia, among others.
C Spire’s mission is “to improve life through technology,” and “to be the best at what we do.”
“We believe in the state that we love, and we need as many people to have connectivity for their communities to grow and thrive,” said Peaster.
Susan Marquez
