Would you leave your home for vacation with the doors unlocked and a window open? Probably not. But did you know you may be leaving your home network wide open to internet hackers without knowing it?

Today, there are an estimated 30 billion smart-home devices in use. Each of them is connected to a home network, and 70 percent of the most popular IoT devices are not secure.

Parenting in the digital age requires internet savvy and a commitment to keeping up with the rapidly changing online landscape. When your child logs onto a tablet, laptop or mobile phone, the world is at their fingertips. And sometimes that can lead to a world of trouble.

Staying safely connected is more important than ever during this period of social distancing due to COVID-19, and C Spire is taking extra precautions to ensure the health and safety of our customers and team members.

We know how critical it is for you to have a fast, reliable internet connection at home. That’s why we are implementing new customer contact guidelines to deliver our Gigabit fiber internet service while also following best practices for limiting exposure to germs.

Cable and satellite TV providers have been shedding subscribers for years now as millions of cord cutters flock to streaming services, and the trend is only accelerating.

Traditional pay-TV is becoming less affordable and less of a value. On average, cable customers pay around $105 a month for their packages. Since 2000, the average bill has increased 74 percent, even after adjusting for inflation.

So, what gives?

Just a decade ago, streaming entertainment was still a novelty. Now, major players like Netflix have completely changed the way we consume media.

Instead of watching live TV or buying DVDs of our favorite TV shows and movies, many of us stream content from hundreds of platforms on a variety of screens. We binge-watch and consume a season’s worth of episodes, or a movie franchise, in single a weekend.

In the last days of 2019, while Americans were enjoying the holidays, millions of television viewers spread across Mississippi and the U.S. were being held hostage without ever knowing.

Negotiations over fees that local TV providers pay the Fox Corporation had broken down, and popular channels like Fox News, Fox Sports and Fox Business were hanging in the balance. And the bargaining chip was you, the viewer.