C Spire has released results of terabit tests that the company conducted with Nokia and EXFO on behalf of the Mississippi Optical Network (MissiON) last November. The Mississippi Optical Network terabit trial was conducted at Mississippi State University campus and focused on the Allen data center on the Starkville campus.

“As Mississippi’s leading broadband communications provider, C Spire is proud to provide innovative, leading-edge technology and the latest fiber optic infrastructure to help power the important work of the MissiON network and enable researchers to pursue comprehensive solutions to 21st century challenges,” Eric Hollingsworth, the Vice President of Network and Service Delivery, said in a press release. “We are committed to helping the consortium continue to build this world-class network.”

Mississippi Optical Network Terabit Trial

MissiON consortium consists of the research and development arms of Ole Miss, Mississippi State, the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson State, the University of Southern Mississippi, Stennis Space Center, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers’ Engineering Research, the Development Center and the national Internet 2 consortium.

In addition to the testing, C Spire was chosen to overhaul the network last year under a contract from the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services (ITS). C Spire says the overhaul tripled capacity, cut costs and added four universities to the consortium. For the first time, direct collaboration was established between research universities, regional institutes, and resources at the ITS State Data Center and C Spire data centers in Jackson and Starkville.

MissiON is a key to the state’s economic development and business expansion. “Bolstering this network is critical in order to enhance our research institutions’ capacity to continue competing successfully for science and technology grants and funding from federal agencies, business and industry, foundations and private endowments,” Dr. David Shaw, vice president for Research and Economic Development at Mississippi State University and chairman of the MissiON Network Advisory Council said in the press release. “We’re operating in an increasingly competitive environment, and MissiON is an indispensable resource in our efforts.”