C Spire’s backhaul network gets a $26.2 million boost from Middle Mile program

C Spire has been working to bridge the middle-mile gap in the rural southeastern US, plugging away at construction of a backhaul network in the area for the past few years. Its effort just got some fresh legs in the form of $26.2 million in funding from the federal government’s Middle Mile grant program. The money will cover roughly half the cost of what will ultimately be a $52.6 million, 677 route-mile project designed to connect its existing assets around Birmingham, Alabama, to parts of more than two dozen un- and underserved counties. Out of the total miles built, 411.5 will be used to connect unserved areas, 29.8 to underserved regions, and 235.8 to reach four internet peering points. According to its award notice, C Spire plans to use 144-count buried fiber for the project. It will offer symmetrical 1-gig services to anchor institutions within 1,000 feet of the network and support both wholesale and retail services. The operator already has “documented interest” from two last mile service providers, the notice states. As of July 2023, C Spire said its fiber service was available across more than 100 communities in Alabama and Mississippi as well as “several Tennessee communities.”