Entergy and C Spire Team up to Help Bridge "Digital Divide" in Mississippi

Entergy and C Spire today announced they are teaming up on an $11 million fiber infrastructure project that will open the door for future delivery of a wide variety of next-generation broadband services to consumers and businesses in some of the most isolated and rural parts of the state.

The project was conceived by Brandon Presley, chairman of the state’s Public Service Commission (PSC), and has been on the drawing board for over two years.  The massive infrastructure project, one of the largest of its kind in the nation, received a final “green light” when the PSC approved an order Feb. 6, authorizing the work to begin later this spring.

Under terms of the agreement, C Spire will install fiber optic cable and related broadband communications infrastructure for Entergy along five routes that cover 302 miles in 15 counties and pass 21 small towns, cities and communities in rural, hard-to-reach parts of the state, including the Delta, north, central, south and southwest regions.

“This is a win-win-win for Entergy, C Spire and the people of rural Mississippi,” Presley said.  “Entergy gets communication enhancements to its statewide electrical service grid, C Spire gets highly-desired fiber infrastructure and the people of our great state who live in some of the most isolated areas will get access to 21^st century broadband services. This is and will continue to be one of my top priorities.”

The construction project will involve placing fiber optic cable along five separate routes as follows:

• Delta: a 92-mile route through Sunflower, Humphreys, Madison and Hinds counties and near the cities of Indianola, Inverness, Isola, Belzoni, Silver City, Yazoo City, Bentonia, Flora and Jackson.
• North: a 51-mile stretch in Attala, Leake and Madison counties, including near the towns of McAdams, Kosciuskoand Canton.
• Central: a 33-mile route through Madison, Rankin and Scott counties and near the towns of Canton, Sand Hill and Morton.
• South: a 77-mile route passing through Simpson, Jefferson Davis, Lawrence and Walthall counties and near the towns of Magee, Prentiss, Silver Creek, Monticello and Tylertown.
• Southwest: a 49-mile stretch in Franklin and Adams counties that’s near the communities of Bude, Meadville, Roxie, Natchez and Eddiceton.

Haley Fisackerly, president and CEO of Entergy Mississippi, echoed Presley’s praise for the project and predicted that the infrastructure would help make the state more attractive for technology investment, boost economic development and business expansion in communities across the state and add more lucrative, high-paying job opportunities for residents.

“We’re excited about partnering with C Spire to modernize our electrical grid and expand rural broadband access in some hard-to-reach areas across the state,” said Fisackerly.. “We have about 30,000 customers within five miles of the proposed routes who could potentially have access to broadband service when the project is complete. In addition, all of our customers will benefit from the enhancements to our communication systems that connect our facilities, substations, offices and radio sites.”