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Davis Journal

Comcast expands to underserved communities in Davis County

Oct 31, 2022 09:29AM ● By Becky Ginos

BOUNTIFUL—Comcast recently announced the completion of a $4 million expansion of its fiber-rich, high-speed network to nearly 2,000 additional homes and businesses in Kaysville, Bountiful and Farmington with residential broadband speeds up to 1.2 gigabits per second (GBps) and up to 100 GBps for businesses.

“It’s exciting,” said Chris Dunkeson, vice president technical operations Comcast Mountain West Region, which includes Utah, New Mexico and Arizona. “It became clear during the pandemic we were trying to educate and work online and that there were cities and areas that were underserved. We recognized we needed to focus in that area so people could connect online.”

It’s through private funding, he said. “Comcast is doing it without government assistance to expand. There is no cost to cities. We’ve absolutely partnered with municipalities that will come into play going forward.”

Internet access changed the world, said Dunkeson. “It gives more options for education, jobs, telecom, access to family around the globe – it’s an essential service. We’re trying to get it to homes that didn’t have it before or areas that have been built out, we're making sure everyone has it.”

It gives businesses a wider presence, he said. “That saves money and gives them opportunities throughout the world. They have access to these speeds no matter what size they are.”

“Comcast continues to invest in the network in Utah,” said Deneiva Knight, external affairs director for Comcast North Region. “We’ve spent $910 million in Utah alone. We’re extending our service area and the footprint covered.”

It might be a new community that may have been missed, she said. “We haven’t taken any taxpayer money for these full services.”

Comcast has launched 30 new Lift Zone locations for students and adults who need access to critical resources, said Knight. “They can check out laptops, submit job applications, do homework and use resources they can only find online. They’re in the youth impact center, Boys and Girls Club, the refugee center in Logan, the BDAC and the Snow Creek apartments in Layton.”

There are two initiatives, she said. “Customers can get Internet Essentials for $9.95 a month for in-home high speed internet. There’s a federal connectivity program for $30 a month that you can apply for federal aid to get the $30 a month free. Go to internetessentials.com to see if you’re eligible.”

Knight said Comcast wants to cover all of its bases. “We want to make sure everyone regardless of their circumstances has access to high speed internet.”

“It’s part of an ongoing expansion to provide service where there are gaps,” said Dunkeson. “We’re trying to meet the needs of constituents. Residents and cities themselves are reaching out asking to work with them in making sure we could provide that.”

Comcast has over 700 employees that work and live here, he said. “We’re excited to have the opportunity to partner with the community to bring this to residents.” λ