Comcast Cable received an $838,974 state grant to deliver broadband service to Metal and Peters townships in Franklin County, Sen. Judy Ward (R-30) announced today.
“In today’s society, broadband internet is a must-have,” said Ward. “Teleworking, online banking and accounting, social media usage, and so many other things make us rely more and more on dependable and affordable internet access. I am consistently told by my constituents about the difficulties of life without broadband internet access, and this project will go a long way to addressing that need.”
Comcast will expand their existing high-speed network by installing 19 miles of fiber and coaxial cable through the Fort Loudon area to service 182 residents and 25 businesses. The network will provide speeds of at least 50 Mbps for downloads and 5 Mbps for uploads and offer a maximum speed of 2 Gbps.
Comcast will also partner with community organizations to raise awareness about the company’s Internet Essentials program that tailors service for low-income customers.
“These projects will have a huge impact in communities all across my district,” Ward said. “High-speed internet service for people in unserved rural areas like Metal and Peters Townships is a life-changing improvement, and this new capability will help those residents pursue a higher quality of life.”
The Commonwealth Financing Authority awarded the grant through the Unserved High-Speed Broadband Funding Program, created by Act 132 of 2020. The program distributed $10 million to 19 projects across the state designed to deliver reliable broadband internet to underserved communities.
CONTACT: Nathan Akers, 717-787-2421