Submitted by Comcast, written by Rodrigo Lopez
Access to the Internet is a fundamental aspect of modern life, influencing education, communication, economy, social connections, innovation, and overall well-being. It has transformed how we learn, work, interact, and access information, becoming an indispensable tool for everyone.
As Washington’s largest internet service provider, we play a critical role in connecting you to all the opportunities that broadband offers. That is why we continually invest in our technology and infrastructure, which includes expanding our broadband network throughout the state. In fact, in the last three years, we’ve invested $1.1 billion in our technology and infrastructure in Washington, including upgrades to our network.
As part of this ongoing investment, we expanded access to our intelligent, fast, reliable fiber-rich network to more than a thousand additional Whatcom County homes and businesses this year. All these locations now have access to service with residential broadband speeds faster than 1 gigabit per second (Gbps), and business speeds up to 100 Gbps.
For local families, this can mean more access to remote learning, virtual work, access to telemedicine, entertainment, social networking, and information. Local businesses may benefit by reaching a broader market, facilitating e-commerce, and supporting the growth of online entrepreneurship. This can lead to increased economic activity and job creation.
By expanding internet access in Whatcom County, we’re also helping to bridge the digital divide for income-constrained households. Since 2011, our Internet Essentials program has made affordable, high-speed Internet available to nearly 4,000 Whatcom County households, many for the first time. This has reduced disparities in access to information, opportunities, and services.
Eligible customers can get home Internet through our Internet Essentials or Internet Essentials Plus service tiers at no cost if they participate in the federal government’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides qualifying households a $30 monthly credit toward Internet and mobile services.
We’re proud to expand our robust fiber-rich network to more local homes and businesses and be a part of the community in Whatcom County. We’re dedicated to providing internet access to as many people as possible because we know that connecting people to the power of technology is essential and life changing.
