#getfiber

The Ridgeland-based diversified telecommunications and technology services company is turning up 100 times faster Internet access and related services in several Clinton neighborhoods this month, making the town the 4th in Mississippi and one of only a handful nationwide to receive the speed boost.

Local government, business, education and community leaders joined C Spire executives to celebrate the historic technology milestone at a news conference Friday outside the home of Clinton resident Connie Chrietzberg, who is among the first Gigabit Internet customers in the town.

Clinton Mayor Phil Fisher, whose schools already have a reputation as one of Mississippi’s leaders in the adoption of education technology, said consumer interest continues to grow in the suite of services, which also include super HDTM TV and home phone.

The city has reached pre-registration goals in seven of its 21 fiberhoods. Construction is underway in three areas and service is available today in the Hunter’s Ridge-Indian Trails fiberhood. C Spire plans to turn up service in the remaining six fiberhoods later this year.

“We’re excited about offering 21st century technology in our community,” Fisher said. “Now that Gigabit speeds are a reality here, homeowners can experience it and tell their friends and neighbors about how amazing it is. We’re going to keep working to qualify the entire city for this technology.”

Chrietzberg, president of the Indian Trails Homeowners Association, went door to door and helped spread the word about the opportunity in her neighborhood. She said residents are thrilled about getting improved services and for the prospect of helping the city become a hub for technology investment, economic expansion and new jobs.

As a photographer and small business owner, Chrietzberg often works out of her home. “Some of the tasks, like uploading photos to online albums, that took me hours to complete before, I now can finish in a fraction of the time,” she said. “I couldn’t be more pleased with the service.”

Clinton qualified its first areas for the next-generation services earlier this year and now joins Quitman, Ridgeland and Starkville as Mississippi cities with the next-generation infrastructure. The company expects to activate service in several other cities by the end of the year.

C Spire was joined at the news conference by key local education technology and business leaders, who discussed how the next-generation technology infrastructure will benefit residents, businesses and students.

Kim Griffin, technology director for the Clinton Public School District, said Gigabit infrastructure will help Clinton students develop essential 21st century technology and workplace skills and learn critical thinking. “Education is no longer just about learning and memorizing facts and figures,” Griffin said. “It’s about collaborating with others, solving complex problems, developing different forms of communication and leadership skills and improving motivation and productivity.”

Clinton was the first school district in Mississippi to launch a one-to-one technology initiative in all of its schools, which Griffin said allows students and teachers to potentially have the same robust connection at home and school for homework and collaborative learning as well as exploration of cutting-edge opportunities for teaching, learning, performing original research and working with other schools and organizations.

Likewise, the local economy can benefit from C Spire’s Gigabit infrastructure in Clinton by helping attract new businesses and business investments in the area, especially since neighboring cities like Jackson, Ridgeland and Madison also are working hard to get the game-changing technology, according to T.J. McSparrin, executive director of the Clinton Chamber of Commerce.

“Gigabit infrastructure can create a new economic reality for the city of Clinton,” McSparrin said. “In the handful of U.S. cities where this infrastructure is deployed and widely available, it has generated thousands of jobs, millions of dollars of new investment, boosted home values and improved the overall quality of life.”

C Spire is on a mission to move Clinton and the Magnolia state from worst to first in national rankings for average Internet speeds and consumer access to super-fast broadband services, according to COO Kevin Hankins.

“Fiber to the Home can be a transformative technology for communities, serving as a platform for innovation and a host of new Internet applications and experiences yet to be imagined,” he added. “We’re determined to show the world that Clinton and the state of Mississippi are ready to be a catalyst for technology investment, economic growth and job creation.”

For C Spire customers, the 1 Gbps Internet access is available for $70 a month, $90 a month for combined Internet and home phone, $130 for Internet and super HD TV and $150 a month for the three-service package. Non-customers must pay an additional $10 a month on all packages.

For a limited time, Clinton residents in the Hunter’s Ridge-Indian Trails fiberhood can sign up for the service and make the first round of installations. To order service, go online at www.cspire.com/clinton or call 1.855.438.1009 (GET100X) between 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. Monday - Friday and 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. on Saturday.