Comcast Expands Network in Tipton County with Partial Funding Through Tennessee Broadband Accessibility Act

2,200 Underserved Homes and Businesses in Tipton County Now Have Access to Comcast’s Full Suite of Services.

COVINGTON, Tenn. (October 23, 2019) – Today, Comcast announced that it has significantly enhanced and expanded the reach of its network serving Tipton County in Tennessee, a mostly rural community located about 30 miles north of Memphis. The $2.4 million investment will bring Comcast’s high-speed broadband Internet service to about 2,200 previously underserved homes and businesses in the region, along with its entire suite of Xfinity services, including the launch of 1-gigabit internet service to residents.

Through the Tennessee Broadband Accessibility Act, which was created to increase broadband access to Tennessee’s rural areas and underserved citizens, the State of Tennessee incented the private investment required for Comcast to upgrade its existing network in Tipton County.

“From educators to entrepreneurs, broadband is a critical tool for success in the modern world,” said Tennessee Governor Bill Lee. “My administration is proud to support efforts to get Tipton County connected, and we thank local partners who are working hard to make this a reality.”

“The need for broadband connectivity continues to grow at an unprecedented pace,” said Jason Gumbs, Regional SVP at Comcast. “Comcast is committed to addressing all broadband adoption barriers, and we are proud to partner with Governor Bill Lee, the Department of Economic and Community Development, and all parties working to increase broadband access in Tennessee.”

In addition to Comcast’s traditional services, residential customers in Tipton County will also have access to the following Xfinity services:

• Six Xfinity Internet service options including Gigabit internet, offering a variety of speed tiers for today’s smart homes;
• xFi, allowing high-speed Internet customers to personalize and control their in-home home Wi-Fi experience;
• Xfinity WiFi Hotspots, giving customers access to more than 19 million hotspots across the country to connect while on the go.
• Xfinity Flex, a simplified streaming solution for Xfinity Internet customers who don’t want traditional TV video service with thousands of free shows and movies;
• The X1 entertainment platform and voice remote;
• Xfinity Stream, offering thousands of Xfinity On Demand movies and shows, and access to the DVR library anytime, anywhere;
• Xfinity Home, a total home security and automation solution

Businesses in Tipton County will also have access to a full suite of Comcast Business internet, voice, and video services.

This expansion will also provide families with access to Comcast’s Internet Essentials program, the nation’s largest and most successful 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. The program has connected over eight million people nationwide, including nearly 300,000 in Tennessee and 150,000 in West Tennessee.

In Tennessee, Comcast has invested more than $1.6 billion in its infrastructure since 2011. Over the last few years in West Tennessee, Comcast has expanded its multi-gigabit network for the business community, launched Gigabit Pro, a 2-gigabit residential internet service, and deployed a 1-gigabit Internet service for residents and businesses.

Nationally, over the past four years and across Comcast’s service area, the company has quadrupled its overall network capacity and doubled its fiber miles, deployed gigabit speeds to more homes than any other Internet Service Provider, upgraded all of its speed tiers, and rolled out an entirely new class of gateways – the xFi Gateway and the xFi Advanced Gateway – that are designed for higher speeds and blanket most homes with Wi-Fi coverage.