It’s crunch time for C Spire’s Fiber to the Home Initiative in McComb.
C Spire will install expensive fiber optic cables throughout McComb for free, delivering lighting-fast Internet — if at least two neighborhoods register for the service by Dec. 31.
Mayor Whitney Rawlings said the fiber optic cables, which can deliver the Internet at speeds 100 times faster than cable Internet, is the future. People may not be able to see its benefits right now, but it’s a game-changer for homeowners and economic development for further down the road, he said.
“It’s a piece of infrastructure as important as the interstate highway coming to McComb or the railroad was to the city’s development,” Rawlings said. “The high-speed broadband will play the same role.”
C Spire is willing to install the cable for free, but residents need to express their interest. Each household must spend $10 to register on C Spire’s website. Doing that simply means a household is interested in learning more about the services, and there is no requirement to sign a contract with C Spire when registering.
However, if C Spire does install the fiber cables, those who have pre-registered and want the service will be waived a $300 installation fee.
C Spire will refund all $10 fees if the sign-up goal is not met.
Rawlings said the fiber cable will encourage vital development and growth in McComb.
“The citizens, I would hope they understand the importance.” he said. “It’s important we grown and this would help us grown the population and encourage new business startups.”
Rawlings also noted the cutting-edge fiber cables would raise home values in McComb since they’d be equipped for the service — something most homes throughout the U.S. are not.
In this final stretch, the city has “boots on the ground, so to speak,” Rawlings said. “We’re trying to churn up interest, trying to get this done.”
Currently, the Reservation and Edgewood areas are closest to meeting their goals. The Reservation only needs 36 more homes to pre-register. Edgewood needs 267 more homes to pre-register before its goal is met.
Households in the States, Algiers/Baertown, Burg-lund and east McComb areas should also be pre-register.
To pre-register go to to www.cspire.com/mccomb, enter the home address, click pre-register, complete the information sheet and pay the $10 fee with a credit or debit card.
Here’s a look at how many homes have to sign up and pay a refundable $10 fee by Dec. 31 in order to meet the demand for C Spire to commit to providing fiber optic Internet service in the city.
• Reservation neighborhood: 36 percent of 248 homes signed up; 36 more homes needed.
• Edgewood: 10 percent of 1,406 homes signed up; 267 more needed.
• States: 8 percent of 1,472 homes signed up; 389 more needed.
• Algiers/Baertown: 2 percent of 827 homes signed up; 350 more needed.
• Burglund: 1 percent of 1,443 homes signed up; 496 more needed.
• East McComb: 5 percent of 373 homes signed up; 150 more needed.
