Comcast’s Rural Broadband Deployment Underway In Montgomery County

More than 1,200 homes and businesses to be connected in currently underserved portions of Waveland, Waynetown, Ladoga and southern Crawfordsville.

Comcast has started construction that will provide families and businesses in unserved portions of Montgomery County access to the Xfinity 10 G Network.

Under Indiana’s Next Level Connections (NLC) Broadband Grant Program, Comcast is partnering with state and local officials to build and deliver fast, reliable broadband service to more than 1,200 homes and businesses in unserved portions of Waveland, Waynetown and Ladoga, and the entire town of New Market. Work will also be conducted in underserved areas in southern Crawfordsville. This project will deploy more than 90 miles of fiber in Montgomery County.

Comcast is investing millions in the Montgomery County expansion project, which falls under the third phase of NLC. A customizable map from OCRA is available here and reflects all three finalized rounds of NLC agreements with all internet service providers.

“More than ever, people are relying on e-learning and telemedicine, which can be difficult in rural areas if there isn’t a strong internet provider,” said Jeremy Burton, Government Affairs manager for Comcast in Indiana. “Partnering with Montgomery County to bridge the digital divide will economically pay huge dividends for rural Hoosiers.”

Comcast is already activating some residents within the Montgomery County expansion project and anticipates having its gigabit-ready, fiber-to-the-home network completed early next year. As each phase of the build is complete, residential customers will be able to take advantage of the Xfinity 10G Network, including:

• Capacity: Xfinity customers connect nearly 1 billion devices annually across the company’s network. The Xfinity 10G Network with the next-generation Xfinity gateways delivers the most advanced WiFi technology carrying three times more bandwidth to simultaneously power streaming, telehealth, videoconferencing, gaming and more.
• Gigabit Internet: More than a third of Xfinity Internet customers subscribe to gigabit speed products.
• Home Coverage: The latest Xfinity Gateway provides a more reliable connection throughout the home. Customers can get wall-to-wall WiFi coverage with an Xfinity WiFi Boost Pod that extends coverage to hard-to-reach areas, with plans for an offering of increased support for in-home WiFi through a “boost guarantee” later this year.
• Reliable Network: Comcast’s Xfinity 10G Network passes 60 million homes and businesses and counting. The company plans to launch a new device that is “storm- ready” with cellular and battery backup to help keep customers connected even when the power goes out.
• Ultra-Low Lag: The Xfinity 10G Network and the latest Xfinity Gateway are a powerful combination that deliver ultra-low latency, also known as low lag, for those moments when response times matter most like video games, a fast-growing category with Xfinity households averaging more than one gaming console per home.

This expansion also provides families access to Comcast’s Internet Essentials program, the nation’s largest broadband adoption initiative for low-income families. Internet Essentials provides low-cost broadband service for $9.95 a month, digital literacy training and discounted computers. This, along with the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), gives income- constrained families support on their internet and mobile data plans. Since its inception in 2011, the program has connected more than 440,000 students, parents, veterans and seniors in Indiana.