MaxxSouth Unveils New Fiber Network Plan

On Thursday, MaxxSouth Broadband officially unveiled its plan to implement a Fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) system that will increase the internet speed of the Oxford-Lafayette area by 20 times the national average. FTTH uses optical fibers from a central location to individual residents, apartments and businesses.

MaxxSouth offered the example that the average internet speed would download a 2-hour HD movie in 32 minutes, with the speeds offered by the FTTH network will take 25 seconds. MaxxSouth’s new network will be up to 1 gigabit of speed, much higher than what is currently offered anywhere in Mississippi. Rick Serrall, Regional General Manager of MaxxSouth, offered a look into what a FTTH network can do for the community.

“Over the next few years we will cover Oxford and Lafayette completely, and we will continue to look at opportunities to expand our reach into unserved areas of Lafayette County. Research shows Fiber communities experience economic revitalization, retain growing business and attract new companies and play host to tech startups,” Serral said. “The options are limitless, and the future is now. MaxxSouth is proud to bring technology to rural Mississippi, putting Mississippi, Oxford and Lafayette County on the same playing field as the major metropolitan areas.”

There is no question that the world we live in is becoming increasingly more reliant on internet speeds, online connectivity, and MaxxSouth is developing this new network with that in mind.

CEO Peter Kahelin said, “It’s going to be an IP world, and in many ways it already is. This network is all about bringing the future to our customers. We’re bringing a network that is only offered in about 30 cities; I see a network like this having endless possibilities. The network we currently have could work for another 25 years, but we wanted to give our customers a new system that makes everything stronger, more secure, and more reliable.”

Kahelin noted that MaxxSouth may not be the biggest company, but that this is the type of innovation they can offer Mississippi that maybe no one else would attempt.

“We live here, and I want to be proud of what we can accomplish here,” Kahelin said. “I want to be able to look at the people of this town and tell them we believed something that nobody else dared to try and deliver. We took that leap because we believe in these communities, and our business long term. It’s all about making a long-term commitment to these communities like Oxford, and that’s why we decided to do this now and not when we had to.”

MaxxSouth is aiming to complete its first build out of 3,000 homes by the first quarter of 2017, and once the first phase is done Kahelin noted that they will be able to complete their next phase within a matter of months. Once installed, Kahelin discussed how this network is “future-proof.”

“We don’t see this network ever having to be rebuilt, or at least for many many years, other than a few software updates. This network really is all about delivering the future,” Kahelin said.

Various leaders of the community and the state of Mississippi were in attendance, including Senator Roger Wicker who is excited to see the opportunities that MaxxSouth’s new network will provide to Oxford, and Mississippi as a whole.

“We’re keeping up the rest of the world in terms of connectivity,” Wicker said. “The fact that we’re able to do it in a small town is great because FTTH is an integral part of job creation. The ability for people to go out and create a job rather than just find one demands the need for the latest iteration of high-speed internet or else their small business will have one hand tied behind their back. I’m glad the federal government is helping to bring connectivity to Americans, and Mississippians, and I support its continuation.”

Steven Gagliano is a writer for HottyToddy.com. He can be reached at steven.gagliano@hottytoddy.com.

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