NATCHEZ — Offices of the City of Natchez are expecting an upgrade to their phone systems and a downgrade on their phone bills, officials say.

Natchez Information Technology Director Ed Bowser said the city is working on finalizing a contract with C Spire Wireless that would put high-speed fiber optic cable in five city buildings to simplify and protect communications between city offices, especially during emergency situations.

The new system will cost approximately $100,000 a year, compared to the $111,000 a year the city pays for just its current service, not including the hardware lease and costs of maintenance.

The maintenance on fiber optic cable is far less expensive, Bowser said.

“Copper lines are getting more and more expensive to maintain,” he said. “They’re getting older and more prone to failures, and more time is spent on fixing those.”

The work of installing the cables at City Hall, the Natchez Police Department, the Natchez Fire Department, Public Works and the Senior Center will be done at C Spire’s cost, Bowser said, as part of the contract.

The cables would bring four-digit dialing, quick transfers, and even digital high-speed Internet to city offices, and would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to install without C Spire, Bowser said.

Fiber optic cable is already installed at Duncan Park and the Natchez Water Works office, Bowser said. A lightning strike destroyed the old system at Duncan Park, and Bowser decided on the fiber optic system because it was inexpensive.

“The system runs really well,” Bowser said. “Water Works went to it as well when they needed a new phone system.”

One of the best things about the new system, Bowser said, is its usefulness in emergency situations.

Currently, a box at City Hall automates transfers to offices in the building. If the power is out, no phones can be reached and calls will seem to ring forever. This makes it difficult to reach key personnel after a storm, Bowser said.

“In a disaster recovery situation, the new concept is hosting,” Bowser said. “In a secure, central office away from (Natchez), C Spire will receive the call.”

Employees at C Spire can attempt to patch important calls through to officials’ cell phones if cell towers are still in operation. If not, some calls can be rerouted to 911, which uses a separate, secure system.

“People don’t realize that there’s more digital behind the scenes than the old kinds we’re used to seeing,” Bowser said.

Fiber optic Internet connections can also make city computers more secure online, Bowser said, because it allows fewer access points for potential attacks.

New phones can be expected to appear on desks in three or four months, Bowser said, if the weather allows the underground fiber optic cable to be installed on schedule.

“I’m all for saving money where we can,” Bowser said. “This saves us money and brings us up a few notches.”