C Spire Granted $26.2 Million For Fiber Construction

C Spire has announced receipt of a $26.2-million U.S. Department of Commerce National Telecommunications and Information Administration Middle Mile grant program award. This award will be part of a $52.6-million fiber construction project from C Spire’s existing network in Birmingham across the southern area of the state, including areas of Baldwin County. The project, “Connect Alabama,” will encompass 677 mi. of new fiber. C Spire says it affords redundancy, high reliability and high-speed broadband throughout the 26 unserved/underserved Alabama counties it traverses and enables open access to last-mile providers, electrical cooperatives, military facilities and tribal areas along its path. In addition, the network proposes to support wholesale and retail broadband services throughout the life of the project. C Spire’s fiber enhancements in the state are part of a three-year initiative to invest $1 billion across Alabama and Mississippi.