Residents and businesses will have access to Internet speeds faster than a gigabit and full suite of Xfinity and Comcast Business services
Comcast is working to bring its Xfinity network to more than 3,300 homes and businesses in McDuffie County, Georgia, including the Town of Dearing and the City of Thomson, by the end of the year. Residential homes in the expansion area will be able to get up to 2 gigabit per second (Gbps) speeds through their existing home connections, and businesses will also have access to the full suite of Comcast Business secure networking solutions, capable of delivering speeds up to 1.25 Gbps for small businesses and up to 100 Gbps for large enterprises. The expansion project was made possible by grants from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), local sales tax dollars and additional funding from Comcast.
“Comcast is proud to bring its next-generation services to even more locations in McDuffie County,” said Mike McArdle, Comcast Regional Senior Vice President. “We know that reliable, high-speed Internet connectivity can profoundly impact the quality of life in the communities we serve, so our goal is to expand to locations that haven’t had access to help drive economic development and even the digital playing field.”
When the project is complete, Comcast will offer the following Xfinity services to residential customers in the expansion area:
- Xfinity Internet – Connect to the Xfinity network and get speeds up to 2 Gbps, advanced WiFi gateways, Storm-Ready WiFi, and powerful WiFi Boost Pods that extend coverage to every corner of your home.
- Xfinity Mobile – Purchase new mobile phones, devices and accessories and choose a flexible data plan – Unlimited or By the Gig – that fits your unique needs.
- Xfinity X1 – Explore our video platform – the ultimate entertainment experience – and try the award-winning Xfinity Voice Remote.
- Xfinity Home – Xfinity’s home security and automation solution.
“Public-private partnerships like this are a great way to bring broadband to previously under- and unserved areas of rural McDuffie County,” said Charlie Newton, Chairman of the McDuffie County Board of Commissioners. “There are so many areas of our community that will feel the effects of this project. Students will be able to do better in school. Adults will have access to digital workspaces. And this is a huge feather in our cap when it comes to attracting and retaining businesses to grow our local economy.”
Comcast is also bringing its Internet Essentials program to the McDuffie County expansion locations. Internet Essentials is a low-cost Internet service available to eligible low-income households with students of all ages, seniors, veterans, people with disabilities and public housing residents enrolled in government assistance programs, ranging from Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Powered by the Xfinity Network
Comcast’s network and Internet experience are powering homes and businesses today and into the future:
- Ultimate Capacity: Xfinity customers connect more than 1 billion devices across the company’s network annually. The Xfinity network with the next-generation Xfinity gateways delivers the most advanced WiFi technology carrying three times more bandwidth to power streaming, gaming, videoconferencing and more, simultaneously.
- Fastest Internet: More than a third of Xfinity Internet customers subscribe to gigabit speed products. Recently, Comcast connected the first customers in the world to a DOCSIS 4.0 connection, delivering symmetrical gig speeds over existing connections in customers’ homes with plans to continue to rollout these speeds across the country over the coming years.
- Unprecedented Coverage: The latest Xfinity Gateway provides a more reliable connection throughout the home. Customers can get WiFi coverage with a powerful Xfinity WiFi Boost Pod that extends coverage to hard-to-reach areas of the home.
- Most Reliable Connection: Comcast is scaling the nation’s largest and most reliable network. The company recently launched Storm-Ready WiFi, a new device that comes equipped with LTE cellular and battery backup to help keep customers connected even when the power goes out.
- Ultra-Low Latency: The Xfinity network and the latest Xfinity Gateway are a powerful combination that deliver ultra-low latency for those moments when response times matter most like video games, a fast-growing category with Xfinity households averaging more than one gaming console per home.
Over the last three years, Comcast has added and upgraded nearly 10,000 miles of its network to connect more than 300,000 new businesses and homes across the southeastern United States. Comcast plans to continue its expansion and bring its network to more under- and unserved communities through private funding and state and local partnerships.
For residents looking to determine if their neighborhood has access to Xfinity services, visit https://www.xfinity.com/mytown/. For businesses looking to connect, visit https://business.comcast.com/.
