C Spire supports Thunder Over Columbus air show with portable cell tower

The C Spire wireless network handles more traffic than ever these days, but when you’re expecting 60,000 additional devices logging on over a six-acre spread, having a world-class backup can save your six.

That’s why C Spire brought its robust COLT (Cell On Light Truck) portable cellular tower to provide wireless support for the recent Thunder Over Columbus air show, held Sept. 21-22 at Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi.

While USAF Thunderbirds flew F-16 fighter jets overhead, C Spire pumped additional juice into the wireless spectrum for tens of thousands of spectators, who were then able to capture the action and share their videos and images in real time through social media and SMS messages.

C Spire provides supplemental cellular signal year-round at public events through its COLT and COW (Cell On Wheels) mobile towers. In October, C Spire will provide cell support for the South Mississippi Fair in Laurel (Oct. 18-26) and on-site WiFi for Homochitto River Festival on Oct. 26 in Meadville. In early 2025, they’ll set up at Mardi Gras parades along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

C Spire engineers constantly monitor customer usage and patterns and proactively add speed, capacity and coverage enhancements through micro and macro cell sites to stay ahead of customer needs.

The C Spire network team racked up more than 500 enhancements to the cellular network in 2022 and 2023, a nearly $150 million investment.

These 5G and LTE deployments are part of a $1 billion investment in expanding our network and the fiber infrastructure that powers our wireless towers.