Aug. 25—C Spire has started construction on a 243-mile-long fiber optic cable route from Meridian, Mississippi to Homewood, Alabama, according to a news release.

Contractors began work on the project late last month and it is expected to be completed next year.

The project, which involves placing conduit, ducting and fiber optic cable underground, will span six counties — Lauderdale in Mississippi — and five Alabama counties, including Sumter, Greene, Tuscaloosa, Jefferson and portions of Bibb, along U.S. Highways 80 and 11.

Company officials said the route will help C Spire provide greater capacity, increased resiliency and lower latency fiber-based ultra-fast, broadband internet services to consumers and businesses in its Tuscaloosa and Northport, Alabama markets along with a 46-mile metropolitan fiber ring serving that area.

The project also will help the company build its infrastructure base as it expands fiber distribution networks in west Alabama and in the Birmingham metropolitan market.

"Fiber will help us connect thousands of consumers, businesses, schools and government agencies to ultra-fast broadband services now and for decades into the future," said Ben Moncrief, managing director of Alabama and senior vice president of Strategic Relations for C Spire.

Alabama ranks 38th nationally in broadband access and state leaders have made access to fast, reliable and affordable internet for rural areas a priority through state funding and creation of the Alabama Rural Broadband Coalition, a group of community, business and government leaders dedicated to job creation, economic development and business growth.