Internet Speed: 20.4 Mbps downlink; 5.8 Mbps uplink

Population: 3 million

Main Internet services: Cable, DSL, Fiber

Main Internet Service Providers: Comcast, AT&T, Cspire

Colocation Datacenters: 3

Colocation Market: Undeserved

According to Akamai.com, the average downlink Internet speed in Mississippi is 20.4 Mbps and the average uplink speed is 5.8 Mbps.

In 2016, the population of Mississippi was approximately 3 million. Over 85% of residents have access to the Internet, especially broadband connections.

Main Internet services provided in Mississippi are as follows:

– Cable – 90% coverage
– DSL – 80% coverage
– Fiber – less than 40% coverage

Main Internet Service Providers located in Mississippi are the following:

– Comcast (Cable) – 90% availability
– AT&T (DSL) – 80% availability
– Cspire (Fiber) – 50% availability

Gigabit Internet in Mississippi

Gigabit Internet services are very rarely provided in Mississippi, as reflected by the very low penetration of rate of 3.5%. Outside Jackson, this service is usually provided to businesses, while residential customers have yet to see speeds higher than 200 Mbps at best. The technical infrastructure required to support such speeds lacks, and ISPs have not shown any intent to renew it.

According to datacentermap.com, there are currently 3 colocation datacenters established in Mississippi. Most datacenters are located in Jackson (2), while the rest are located in Hattiesburg (1).

In Jackson, prominent colocation providers are the following two:

– NETDOOR
– U.S. Next

In Hattiesburg, the only colocation provider is MegaGate Broadband.

Prominent Colocation Providers – NETDOOR

One of the largest colocation providers located in Mississippi is NETDOOR. This company operates a state-of-the-art datacenter located in Jackson, which specializes in providing retail colocation services, in addition to diverse disaster recovery solutions. However, the datacenter is not carrier neutral.

Prominent Colocation Providers – U.S. Next

Another important colocation provider is U.S. Next. This company specializes primarily in providing colocation services, serving 800 clients across 24 states. Amenities include: N+1 UPS power equipment, N+1 cooling system, leasing of rack cabinets, suites, as well as cages, and diverse security solutions.

Colocation Industry in Mississippi

Mississippi is not regarded as a thriving colocation market, as demonstrated by the very limited presence of significant colocation providers in the region. In spite of this aspect, Mississippi might just be able to claim the moniker of the most affordable colocation market in the South, thanks to the state’s low costs for electricity, much cheaper than Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas.

Advantages for Colocation

The state has a series of advantages for colocation, and is as follows:

– temperate climate, with relatively cold winters;
– close proximity to Texas, which means that Mississippi can receive customers that are on a limited budget

Disadvantages for Colocation

However, the state does exhibit a series of considerable disadvantages as well, and is as follows:

– very high risk for natural disasters (5th in the U.S., according to epa.gov)
– underdeveloped technical infrastructure, with no actual intent for betterment
– stagnant market, which has yet to see massive investments