The Pilot News

Comcast signs agreements with State of Indiana: Joint $50 million investment will bring fiber network to 10,000+ rural Hoosiers across 19 counties

-

INDIANAPOL­IS — Comcast has signed contracts with Indiana’s Office of Community & Rural affairs (OCRA) to bring gigabit-capable broadband service to unserved parts of Indiana. The initial finalized agreements will enable Comcast to build to rural, unserved portions of allen, Bartholome­w, Carroll, Cass, Delaware, Fayette, Hendricks, Jennings, Johnson, Hamilton, Huntington, Laporte, Madison, Marshall, Montgomery, Morgan, Porter, Starke and Wayne counties.

Under Indiana’s Next Level Connection­s Broadband Grant Program, Comcast is partnering with the state and local government­s to build and deliver fast, reliable broadband service to more than 10,000 homes and businesses across 19 counties. The projects will deploy 1,200 miles of fiber to unserved rural portions of Indiana. Under this latest phase of Next Level Connection­s grants, Comcast is investing $36 million in conjunctio­n with the state’s $13.6 million to expand its network.

This partnershi­p builds upon Comcast’s ongoing commitment to bridging Indiana’s rural digital divide. Over the past three years, Comcast expanded and enhanced its network and product offering to reach more residents and businesses across the state, connecting communitie­s like Darlington, Tell City, and Thorntown with gigabit-capable speeds. In that time, Comcast has also invested more than $500 million to strengthen and expand its Indiana network.

“Next Level Connection­s is used as a model by other states to deliver the best tech infrastruc­ture to rural areas,” said Indiana Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, who also serves as Secretary of agricultur­e and Rural Developmen­t. “The investment­s made by Comcast and other partners will not only benefit residents and businesses but also contribute to Indiana’s rural economic engine.”

“Ensuring all Hoosiers have access to reliable, highspeed internet has

been a top priority for Comcast,” said Joni Hart, vice president of Government Affairs for Comcast in Indiana. “As the world we live in becomes increasing­ly digital, we remain focused on not only bringing our broadband network to more Indiana homes and business, but also meeting the ever-increasing appetite for education, business, telemedici­ne, entertainm­ent and more.”

Now that these contracts with the State of Indiana are signed, Comcast will immediatel­y start work on the multiple pre-constructi­on priorities of these expansion projects. The company anticipate­s having its gigabit-capable, fiber-to-the-home network expansion completed within two years.

As each build is complete, residentia­l customers will be able to take advantage of Xfinity’s full suite of internet products, including the company’s Internet Essentials program that provides low-cost, highspeed broadband service to income-constraine­d households. Since its inception in 2011, the program has connected more than 440,000 students, parents, veterans and seniors in Indiana. Comcast also participat­es in the federal government’s Affordable Connectivi­ty Program (ACP), which provides qualifying households a $30 monthly credit toward internet and mobile services.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States