Comcast Announces Proposal to Expand Broadband Service, Bridge Digital Divide in Dickson County

Comcast Proposes $22.7 Million Investment to Provide Fiber Broadband to Thousands of Unserved Dickson County Residents and Businesses

(DICKSON, Tenn.) – March 10, 2022 – Comcast today announced a proposal for a three-year, $22.7 million broadband network expansion to bring advanced, high-speed broadband services to nearly 5,200 currently unserved homes and businesses in Dickson County.

The funding would come from a $6.8 million private investment by Comcast, along with $15.9 million state funding (through the Tennessee Broadband Accessibility Act) and from Dickson County. This partnership would bring the total investment to $22.7 million and would further expand service to include all unserved areas within the county.

In 2021, Comcast completed a $3.3 million, one-year project to expand the reach of its network to parts of Cheatham and Dickson counties through a partnership with the State of Tennessee. As a result, more than 2,000 homes and businesses now have access to 1.2 gigabit-speed broadband service, the nation’s fastest in-home speed over WiFi, advanced security features, and Comcast Business commercial services.

“Comcast has been an active leader in closing the broadband gap in rural Tennessee, and we’re focused on making the significant investments that are required to quickly connect more families and businesses,” said Jason Gumbs, Comcast Regional SVP. “By partnering with the State of Tennessee and local communities, we’ve shown it’s possible to expeditiously and cost-effectively deliver advanced broadband services where the need is vital.” 

Comcast’s proposal calls for a fast and effective expansion that includes:

• $22.7 million investment in broadband expansion
• Gigabit broadband availability to all homes and businesses in Dickson County
• Comcast’s full suite of services for residential and business customers
• Internet Essentials connectivity for $9.95/month
• WiFi enabled “Lift Zone” digital innovation and training centers

“Access to Comcast’s fast, high-capacity broadband is essential to helping our communities grow economically,” said State Representative Mary Littleton. “This proposal creates no risk for Dickson County taxpayers and will bring faster and more affordable broadband options to our residents and businesses.”

Over the past three years, Comcast has made more than $700 million in technology and infrastructure investments in Tennessee, including network upgrades.

Comcast has recently built 143 of miles of new broadband for rural communities including Tipton, Roane, Campbell, Dickson and Cheatham Counties – bringing high-speed broadband services to nearly 5,000 homes and businesses. These expansions were partially funded through the Tennessee Broadband Accessibility Act.

Comcast also continues to address digital inequities by investing in connectivity efforts, including programs like Internet Essentials, the Internet Essentials Partnership Program, Lift Zones, and through support of organizations that offer effective and innovative solutions to improving economic mobility. Comcast has connected more than 500,000 Tennesseans to affordable broadband through its low-cost broadband adoption program, Internet Essentials.

Comcast has made a $1 billion commitment to reach 50 million people over the next 10 years with the tools, resources, and skills needed to succeed in a digital world. For more information about Comcast’s comprehensive connectivity program for low-income Americans visit https://corporate.comcast.com/values/internet-essentials.