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C Spire Ramps up Rollout of 5G Service on Mississippi Gulf Coast

2021-02-15

Nearly 60 cell sites equipped with next generation of wireless technology in three counties since January

Gulfport, Mississippi (February 16, 2021) – C Spire is accelerating the deployment of next-generation 5G wireless technology to consumer and business customers on the Mississippi Gulf Coast – activating the game-changing service in two counties and nine cities since December.

The diversified telecommunications and technology services company, which is the nation’s 6th largest mobile operator, has turned up service at 54 sites on the Gulf Coast introducing 5G to customers in Harrison and Jackson counties.

Activation of 5G in the cities of Biloxi, D’Iberville, Long Beach, Gulfport, Pass Christian, Pascagoula, Gautier, Ocean Springs and Moss Point along with 12 other small towns and communities in the two counties means better coverage and faster service for customers.

The 54 sites along the Mississippi Gulf Coast are part of nearly 100 sites launched since late last year, including Brookhaven in Lincoln County, Columbus in Lowndes County, parts of Hattiesburg in Forrest and Lamar counties and a handful of sites in the tri-county region of Hinds, Madison and Rankin counties.

Other markets, including more sites in Hinds, Madison and Rankin counties, Crystal Springs, Hazlehurst, Byram, McComb and the Mississippi Gulf Coast, are expected to be 5G capable by the end of June with more areas of the company’s footprint coming soon, according to Brian Caraway, general manager of C Spire’s wireless division.

C Spire is spending $1 billion over the next three years– the largest capital spend in company history - to accelerate the deployment of ultra-fast 5G wireless technology and all-fiber Gigabit broadband internet in key parts of its service area.

“We’re rapidly bringing consumers the benefits of new 5G wireless network technology where they need it the most with fast speeds, better service and an improved experience,” Caraway said. “Using a backbone of fiber optic infrastructure, we’re rolling out a better 5G network now and for the future.”

The 5G rollout is part of C Spire’s continuing network enhancements, including additional Band 41 carriers with carrier aggregation, increased cell site antenna capacity using advanced features like 12-layer MIMO, 256 QAM modulation for better spectral efficiency and network-wide optimization for balanced data delivery.

During the transition to 5G across the network, Caraway said C Spire plans to continue to use improvements and enhancements offered from its current 4G LTE Advanced technology to ensure that customers have the best network experience uniquely designed for their needs and region.

The C Spire 5G launch is occurring in conjunction with the availability of the new iPhone smartphone lineup, which includes the iPhone 12, the iPhone 12 Pro, the iPhone Pro Max and the iPhone Mini. Other 5G-enabled smartphone devices from other handset manufacturers, including Samsung and Google, will come with expansion in other markets.

To learn more about C Spire 5G, go to www.cspire.com/5G. For more information about the accelerated C Spire 5G and fiber broadband internet initiative, go to C Spire 5G Fast and Fiber Fast. For more information about C Spire products and services, visit www.cspire.com.

About C Spire
C Spire is a privately-held telecommunications and technology company driven to deliver the best experiences in wireless, fiber internet, and business IT solutions such as internet, VoIP, cloud and managed services. Read more news releases and announcements at cspire.com/news. For more information, visit cspire.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.