Comcast today announced it has extended its fast and reliable fiber-rich network to more than 500 businesses along the Route 219 corridor in Richland Township, giving them access to the full suite of Comcast Business products and services.
This network extension, an investment of more than $1.9 million that began in 2020, reaches businesses south and east of Route 219, from roughly its intersection with Eisenhower Boulevard to the southwest to just beyond the Galleria Mall to the northeast. This includes the University of Pittsburgh Johnstown campus and parts of Scalp Avenue and Elton Road.
Capable of delivering up to 1 Gigabit speeds for small and medium-sized businesses, or up to 100 Gigabits-per-second for larger enterprises, the network expansion will support advanced services and the ability to bring new customers online quickly. While the Comcast network already serves many of the region’s largest companies and businesses, this expansion delivers high-performance Ethernet, Internet and advanced voice solutions to more businesses and organizations.
“Our voice and Internet services from Comcast Business have allowed us to reliably execute our critical business plan, and when we have needed technical support, their response has been quick and effective,” said Lance Blackburn, President of Friendly City Box Co., Inc.
Comcast’s investment is a response to demand for Comcast Business products and services in an area that neighbors the company’s existing network to the south – in northern Somerset County – and is part of the same designated market area Comcast already serves. The network investment also addresses demand from businesses with multiple locations in areas already served by Comcast Business in other parts of the region and state.
The expansion will provide businesses of all sizes with access to a comprehensive portfolio of products and services to help meet the day-to-day demands of organizations requiring large amounts of bandwidth, looking to link multiple sites or branch locations, or planning to connect their offices to a third-party data center. This includes fast business WiFi for employees and guests, cybersecurity solutions, 4G LTE backup, business TV and more.
“We are continuously looking at opportunities to bring our state-of-the-art products to more businesses where it is geographically and economically feasible to do so, and we are pleased to offer Comcast Business service to this commercially-dense corridor of Richland Township,” said Aaron Mimran, vice president of Comcast Business for the company’s Keystone Region.
Comcast also offers its residential products to homes located within direct proximity of the physical network plant extensions in Richland Township, bringing approximately 400 residences access to its full offering of Xfinity products, including Gigabit Internet service, unique home WiFi control capabilities with xFi, the award-winning Xfinity X1 video and Xfinity Flex platforms, Xfinity Home, Xfinity Voice and Xfinity Mobile.
In addition to Cambria County investments that improve the customer experience, Comcast invests in local communities like Bellefonte and State College, where Comcast has installed WiFi-connected Lift Zones to help to connect low-income families to the Internet so they can fully participate in educational opportunities and the digital economy. In addition, Comcast has awarded 12 small businesses in central Pennsylvania technology and marketing services through the Comcast RISE program, including Beauty by Judelyne Wellness Spa in Lancaster. Comcast RISE has provided over $60 million in grants, marketing and technology services to more than 6,700 small businesses owned by people of color – including Black, Indigenous, Hispanic and Asian Americans – since it launched in November 2020. Lift Zones and Comcast RISE are part of Project UP, Comcast’s comprehensive initiative to advance digital equity and help build a future of unlimited possibilities.