MaxxSouth Broadband, an independent service provider located in the South, is extending its 1 Gbps FTTH service to customers it serves in Oxford, Mississippi, enabling it to surpass AT&T’s U-verse offering.
Oxford is the third city in Mississippi where MaxxSouth delivers FTTH-based network services.
Over the past two years, MaxxSouth has been launching the service in various Mississippi cities including Starkville and Carthage in 2014. MaxxSouth said the Carthage FTTH network was a first for Leake County.
During the initial phase of the project, which is expected to be completed early next year, MaxxSouth will provide service to about 3,000 homes. But looking forward, MaxxSouth plans to build out FTTH service areas completely throughout Lafayette County.
Similar to other communities like Chattanooga, Tennessee – a city that has reestablished itself as an innovation hub due to the presence of two Gbps networks from local utility EPB and Comcast – MaxxSouth sees FTTH as being enabler for the local economy.
"Research shows us that communities with fiber connections experience economic revitalization," said Peter Kahelin, president and CEO of MaxxSouth Broadband. "A fiber network in a city can stimulate business activity and improve quality of life.”
A recent FTTH Council survey conducted in tandem with Analysis Group illustrated that FTTH access can increase a home’s valuation by up to 3.1 percent. The Council said that this finding also applies to condominiums and apartment buildings.
In addition to increasing a home’s value, a 2014 FTTH Council study found higher per capita GDP (1.1 percent) in communities where gigabit internet services were available. The 14 gigabit communities analyzed by the FTTH Council saw approximately $1.4 billion in additional GDP over other similarly situated communities.