Fiber optic cables under Reservoir to boost internet speeds in rural Mississippi

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - C Spire and Entergy are teaming up to boost internet speeds of Mississippians living in rural areas.

Tuesday, both companies announced the completion of an $11 million project that took 18 months to finish.

Contractors for C Spire ran over a mile of fiber optics 40 feet under Ross Barnett Reservoir, making it the longest continuous span of fiber optic cable in the company's history.

They believe this will help the needs of those who haven't been able to get high speed internet in the past.

"Every Mississippian, in rural Mississippi particularly, has a need for high speed internet service. That need isn't getting less; it's getting greater by the day," Public Service commissioner Brandon Presley said. "We've got to fix this problem. So I asked Entergy and C Spire to get all hands on deck and to come to us with a solution, and luckily it's worked out very well."

C Spire operates nearly 10,000 route miles of fiber optics across the state.