Cellular South
Encyclopedia
Cellular South Inc., doing business as C Spire Wireless, headquartered in Ridgeland, Mississippi
, is the eighth largest wireless provider in the United States. C Spire has approximately 900,000 customers in Mississippi
, the Memphis
Metropolitan Area, the Florida Panhandle
, parts of Alabama
including Mobile
, and Rome, Georgia
. The company also holds 700 MHz and AWS licenses covering most of Tennessee and Alabama, though it has not yet extended service to these areas. On September 20, 2011 Cellular South, Inc. filed a trademark application for the C Spire Wireless name and two days later announced that it would market its services under the C Spire Wireless brand effective September 26. C Spire Wireless is owned by the holding company Telapex, Inc., which also owns Telepak Networks, Inc., a provider of broadband internet and phone service, as well as several smaller Mississippi telecoms.
on February 4, 1988, using AMPS
technology. Former American football quarterback Archie Manning
made the company’s inaugural call from Gulfport, Mississippi
to then U.S. Representative Trent Lott
in Washington, D.C.
Despite only operating a network in a handful of states, Cellular South has established business relationships with other carriers allowing it to offer its customers nationwide service. As of 2006 the company began advertising "its nationwide wireless voice and data network," and on August 17, 2006 opened its first brick-and-mortar sales center located outside of its native network footprint.
The company announced on September 22, 2011 it planned on rebranding
to C Spire Wireless effective on September 26.
On October 19, 2011, C Spire announced plans to sell Apple
's iPhone 4
and the iPhone 4S
on its website. Both models will be available for purchase starting on November 11, 2011.
Cellular South also holds corporate sponsorships for:
Ridgeland, Mississippi
Ridgeland is a city in Madison County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 20,173 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, is the eighth largest wireless provider in the United States. C Spire has approximately 900,000 customers in Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, the Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
Metropolitan Area, the Florida Panhandle
Florida Panhandle
The Florida Panhandle, an informal, unofficial term for the northwestern part of Florida, is a strip of land roughly 200 miles long and 50 to 100 miles wide , lying between Alabama on the north and the west, Georgia also on the north, and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. Its eastern boundary is...
, parts of Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
including Mobile
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
, and Rome, Georgia
Rome, Georgia
Located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Rome is the largest city and the county seat of Floyd County, Georgia, United States. It is the principal city of the Rome, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Floyd County...
. The company also holds 700 MHz and AWS licenses covering most of Tennessee and Alabama, though it has not yet extended service to these areas. On September 20, 2011 Cellular South, Inc. filed a trademark application for the C Spire Wireless name and two days later announced that it would market its services under the C Spire Wireless brand effective September 26. C Spire Wireless is owned by the holding company Telapex, Inc., which also owns Telepak Networks, Inc., a provider of broadband internet and phone service, as well as several smaller Mississippi telecoms.
History
Cellular South, Inc. began its wireless service on the Mississippi Gulf CoastMississippi Gulf Coast
The Mississippi Gulf Coast refers to the three Mississippi counties which lie on the Gulf of Mexico: Hancock, Harrison and Jackson counties.The region was severely damaged by Hurricane Camille in 1969 and again by Hurricane Katrina in 2005....
on February 4, 1988, using AMPS
Advanced Mobile Phone System
Advanced Mobile Phone System was an analog mobile phone system standard developed by Bell Labs, and officially introduced in the Americas in 1983, Israel in 1986, and Australia in 1987. It was the primary analog mobile phone system in North America through the 1980s and into the 2000s...
technology. Former American football quarterback Archie Manning
Archie Manning
Elisha Archibald "Archie" Manning III is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League, playing for the New Orleans Saints from 1971 to 1982, then for the Houston Oilers and Minnesota Vikings...
made the company’s inaugural call from Gulfport, Mississippi
Gulfport, Mississippi
Gulfport is the second largest city in Mississippi after the state capital Jackson. It is the larger of the two principal cities of the Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. As of the...
to then U.S. Representative Trent Lott
Trent Lott
Chester Trent Lott, Sr. , is a former United States Senator from Mississippi and has served in numerous leadership positions in the House of Representatives and the Senate....
in Washington, D.C.
Growth
The company has grown steadily year after year. Since 1999, Cellular South has invested more than US$700 million in its wireless network, including constructing 1,403 cell sites, a high-speed wireless broadband network and a permanent microwave ring for redundancy across the Gulf Coast region. In 2009, the company purchased Alabama-based Corr Wireless, which expanded its coverage in Alabama and moved it into Georgia for the first time.Despite only operating a network in a handful of states, Cellular South has established business relationships with other carriers allowing it to offer its customers nationwide service. As of 2006 the company began advertising "its nationwide wireless voice and data network," and on August 17, 2006 opened its first brick-and-mortar sales center located outside of its native network footprint.
The company announced on September 22, 2011 it planned on rebranding
Rebranding
Rebranding is the creation of a new name, term, symbol, design, or a combination of them for an established brand with the intention of developing a differentiated position in the mind of stakeholders and competitors....
to C Spire Wireless effective on September 26.
Products and services
Cellular South provides flat-rate, unlimited voice and data plans, nationwide digital coverage, a 3G voice and data network and retail stores to teach wireless users how to use wireless features and applications on their smartphones.On October 19, 2011, C Spire announced plans to sell Apple
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
's iPhone 4
IPhone 4
The iPhone 4 is a touchscreen slate smartphone developed by Apple Inc. It is the fourth generation iPhone, and successor to the iPhone 3GS. It is particularly marketed for video calling , consumption of media such as books and periodicals, movies, music, and games, and for general web and e-mail...
and the iPhone 4S
IPhone 4S
The iPhone 4S is a touchscreen slate smartphone developed by Apple Inc. It is the fifth generation of the iPhone, a device that combines a widescreen iPod with a touchscreen, mobile phone, and internet communicator. It retains the exterior design of its predecessor, iPhone 4, but is host to a range...
on its website. Both models will be available for purchase starting on November 11, 2011.
Community involvement
Cellular South sponsors the Cellular South Foundation.Cellular South also holds corporate sponsorships for:
- The Cellular South CupRegions Morgan Keegan Championships and the Cellular South CupThe Regions Morgan Keegan Championships and the Cellular South Cup are tennis tournaments held in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The Regions Morgan Keegan Championships is a men's ATP Tour event that has been held since 1976. In previous years it has been known as the U.S. Indoor Championships, the...
professional tennis tournament in Memphis - The University of MississippiUniversity of MississippiThe University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
, Mississippi State UniversityMississippi State UniversityThe Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...
, University of Southern Mississippi and University of MemphisUniversity of MemphisThe University of Memphis is an American public research university located in the Normal Station neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee and is the flagship public research university of the Tennessee Board of Regents system....
athletic programs - The Memphis RedbirdsMemphis RedbirdsThe Memphis Redbirds are the Triple-A minor league baseball affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They play their home games at AutoZone Park in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. The stadium's capacity is 14,320. They entered the Pacific Coast League as an expansion team in 1998, and were owned as a...
and Mississippi BravesMississippi BravesThe Mississippi Braves, or M-Braves as they are referred to locally, are a minor league baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi, a suburb of Jackson. The team is the Class AA affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, and plays in the Southern League. The team is owned and operated by Liberty Media, which...
minor league baseball teams - The Mississippi RiverKings hockey team
- The Conerly TrophyConerly TrophyThe Conerly Trophy or Cellular South Conerly Trophy is an award given annually to the best college football player in the state of Mississippi by the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.-Voting:...
award to Mississippi's best 4-year college football player - The Ferriss Trophy award to Mississippi's best 4-year college baseball player
- The Howell Trophy award to Mississippi's best men's 4-year college basketball player
- The Gillom Trophy award to Mississippi's best woman's 4-year college basketball player