Andalusia council approves C Spire franchise to support federally funded middle‑mile fiber
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Summary
The Andalusia City Council on March 3 approved a franchise agreement with C Spire to support a federally funded, roughly 677‑mile middle‑mile fiber project that company officials said will include redundant routes through Andalusia and operate as an open‑access, non‑discriminatory network.
The Andalusia City Council approved a franchise agreement March 3 that C Spire says will enable a federally funded middle‑mile fiber network to serve Andalusia and the surrounding counties.
Jake Cowan, senior vice president for C Spire, told the council the project is part of a federal grant to deploy about 677 miles of fiber serving 27 counties in South Alabama and that the company plans to install a high‑capacity cabinet in Andalusia and three separate routes out of town to provide redundancy. "We will operate open access and [a] non‑discriminatory network," Cowan said, adding that other providers, including cell carriers and local ISPs, could use the network at comparable rates.
Mayor Earl V. Johnson said the council supports adding a provider to improve local reliability: "We're hoping by having multiple providers, a person can get redundancy and never be without internet." Officials discussed timing: Cowan said business customers along state rights‑of‑way could be served more quickly and home connections are likely to follow, with a general expectation that residential availability could take about a year or a little longer.
Councilman Nicks moved to approve the franchise agreement; a council member seconded, and the council approved the motion by voice vote.
Why it matters: Cowan said the federally supported middle‑mile project will provide high‑capacity infrastructure that local providers can use, which city officials said should increase redundancy and reliability for businesses and residents. The council’s approval clears the way for C Spire to move from planning and permitting to deployment in Andalusia under the terms discussed.
The council voted on several other routine items during the brief meeting and then adjourned.
