Mississippi’s C Spire Wireless celebrates 25th anniversary

Its been 25 years since former New Orleans Saints quarterback Archie Manning picked up the phone and called then Mississippi congressman Trent Lott.

That historic call signaled the start of business for a little South Mississippi telephone company called Cellular South.

The Ridgeland-based telecom now known as C Spire Wireless is celebrating a quarter-century as the nation’s longest continuously owned and operated wireless provider.

“While we opened our doors 25 years ago as a pure-play wireless provider, our dedication to putting the customer first and discovering new ways to improve their lives with technology has never wavered,” said C Spire CEO Hu Meena, in a released statement Monday. “In fact, it’s a passionate obsession at C Spire, which is why we’ve continued to evolve and use innovation and technology to benefit our customers.”

The family-owned company has grown to more than one million subscribers, 1,200 employees and generates a $1.5 billion economic impact in the Southeast through payroll, capital investments and corporate philanthropy.

“We’ve always put the customer at the center of everything we do and that’s one of the reasons we’ve had sustained success in one of the most competitive industries in the world,” Meena said.

The company made news in 2011 with the significant brand change to C Spire Wireless and simultaneous introduction of personalized services for consumers and businesses.

“By making the strategic decision to change our brand and refocus on personalized services, we positioned C Spire for sustained growth and success well into the future,” Meena said.

Other services include:

SCOUT: an entertainment recommendations and personalization tool for apps, movies, books and music.

PERCS: a consumer engagement based program that rewards customers for personalizing their wireless experience.

CIRCLE: a “destination” where C Spire customers and prospective customers can go to openly share ideas.