Comcast announced it has signed contracts with Indiana’s Office of Community & Rural Affairs (OCRA) to bring gigabit-capable broadband service to unserved parts of Indiana.
The operator says the contracts will lead to fiber network deployments to more than 10,000 homes and businesses in 19 counties within the state.
The expansion projects target unserved parts of Indiana in the counties of Allen, Bartholomew, Carroll, Cass, Delaware, Fayette, Hendricks, Jennings, Johnson, Hamilton, Huntington, La Porte, Madison, Marshall, Montgomery, Morgan, Porter, Starke, and Wayne.
“Ensuring all Hoosiers have access to reliable, high-speed internet has been a top priority for Comcast,” concluded 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.”
Under this latest phase of OCRA’s Next Level Connections grants, Comcast will spend $36 million to match the state’s $13.6 million for the fiber network expansion.
“Next Level Connections is used as a model by other states to deliver the best tech infrastructure to rural areas,” remarked 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.”
Comcast says it has already begun work on the multiple pre-construction priorities of the expansion projects. Comcast expects the fiber to the home (FTTH) deployment to complete within two years.
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