Page 34 - BusinessWest September 2, 2024

TECHNOLOGY >>
Connecting Communities
Massachusetts Broadband Institute Continues to Narrow
IDigital Divide
t’s all about connecting communities, Comcast says — and public-private partnerships that continue to bear fruit in closing the digital divide.
Comcast recently submitted 91 applications in the second round of the Broadband Infrastructure Gap Net-
works Grant Program, administered by the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI), a program that funds the deploy- ment of high-speed broadband to unserved or underserved locations in Massachusetts.
“Comcast has a proven track record of connecting resi- dents and businesses in the Commonwealth to reliable and fast internet service, and we look forward to partnering with MBI to further expand the Xfinity network to fully connect local communities,” said Carolyne Hannan, senior vice presi- dent of Comcast’s New England Region.
“We have completed five broadband expansion projects in partnership with the MBI, connecting more than 3,000 homes and businesses since 2018,” she added. “Endorse- ment by the MBI of the applications would build on the suc- cessful public-private partnership.”
Throughout Massachusetts, Comcast has invested almost $909 million over the last three years in private capital to build, maintain, and operate its Xfinity network. The company notes that this investment has enabled it to expand its net- work capabilities and stay ahead of consumer demand, as the need for fast, reliable, and secure internet continues to grow.
Meanwhile, public-private partnership models, like MBI’s grant program, are necessary to reach locations where the economics prevent private investment alone. The company has already received more than 140 letters of support from
communities across the state for the applications. “Comcast wants to serve as many customers as is geo-
graphically and economically feasible,” the company told BusinessWest. “As we continue to evaluate these opportuni- ties for network expansions, especially in rural areas where there can be significant infrastructure challenges, we partner with municipalities and groups like the Massachusetts Broad- band Institute for grants that help change the economics to expand in the most cost-efficient manner.”
Through the first round of the Broadband Infrastructure Gap Networks Program, Comcast was awarded grants to connect unserved and underserved residents in Monson, Palmer, and Ware, as well as communities in Martha’s Vine- yard and Nantucket. Additionally, it has expanded its network in partnership with the MBI in Western Mass., connecting previously unserved homes and businesses.
It completed its first public-private partnership with the MBI in 2018, enabling the launch of gigabit services in nine Western Mass. towns, bringing Buckland, Conway, Ches- ter, Hardwick, Hun-
tington, Montague,
Northfield, Pelham,
and Shelburne to the
MBI’s overall cover-
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