From The Tribune staff reports
TRUSSVILLE — C Spire is accepting consumer pre-orders for its ultra-fast, fiber-based Gigabit speed internet and related services in parts of Trussville.
While portions of the two Alabama towns (Trussville and Jasper) will be the first to receive the services later this year, other parts of the cities as well as additional communities, including Helena and Tuscaloosa, have executed franchise agreements with C Spire and are already on the drawing board for 2021.
As part of its expansion efforts, the diversified telecommunications and technology services company also is actively soliciting interest among other Alabama communities who want more reliable and faster broadband internet service based on the crowdsourcing model, which relies on homeowner, business and renter demand to drive adoption.
Trussville, long considered a suburb for Birmingham, Alabama’s largest city, plans to use the fiber infrastructure to continue offering residents an improved quality of life with modern amenities and growing the town’s already strong commercial and industrial base. “Jobs follow this type of investment and that’s what our community needs,” Mayor Buddy Choat said.
C Spire executives unveiled construction and service timelines in Trussville and Jasper and potential plans for other areas during a virtual press conference Thursday with state and local elected officials and other stakeholders, who stressed the importance of broadband infrastructure to the state’s economic, education, healthcare and agriculture future.
“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,” C-Spire said in a press release.
“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 Alabamians,” said Ben Moncrief, Managing Director in Alabama for C Spire. “Fiber’s symmetric speeds – for example 1 Gig upstream and 1 Gig downstream – are particularly important for interactive learning, remote work and telehealth applications beyond streaming video or surfing the web, which rely on fast download only internet speeds.”
Consumers in the northern portion of Jasper and in neighborhoods scattered across Trussville will be able to place pre-orders for Gigabit speed, fiber-based internet, Smart WiFi powered by Plume®, Home Protection Plan and digital home phone service beginning today at www.cspire.com/ALFiberHome. Businesses interested in ultra-fast internet access should complete the address validation form found online at www.cspire.com/ALfiber to see what services they can receive.
To make the pre-order process easy, simple and quick, homeowners only need to provide their service address and email and select the services they want and need. Once construction is finished later this year, consumers can complete their order and schedule installation.
C Spire Fiber has no data caps, cancellation fees or long-term contracts and does not use pricing promotions.
Alabama Power is partnering with C Spire to make broadband more widely available by allowing use of a portion of its fiber infrastructure to help support high-speed internet in several town and cities. The firm does not provide broadband services directly to consumers or businesses.
Alabama residents who want to learn more about C Spire Fiber or express their interest in the suite of services should go to www.cspire.com/fiber and fill out the online interest form by including their name and address. Residents can also email fiberchampions@cspire.com to learn more about how they can get service in their area.
For more information about C Spire’s fiber broadband rollout in Alabama, go to www.cspire.com/alfiber.