COMCAST ANNOUNCES RURAL BROADBAND EXPANSION IN SNOHOMISH COUNTY Comcast Plans to Invest More Than $7.5 Million to Expand Broadband Service to More Than 1,600 Additional Homes

Comcast today announced it will expand service to 1,667 homes in rural areas of Snohomish County. Over the next two years, Comcast will invest $7.6 million, to bring the entire suite of Xfinity and Comcast Business services to the rural unincorporated communities of Sisco Heights, Burns Road, and Frontier Air Park.

“I am appreciative of the efforts taken up by Comcast and all of our private sector partners to help us achieve broadband service across the state that is quality, affordable, and reliable. Even before we felt the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, we knew that too many Washingtonians had limited or no access to broadband,” Gov. Jay Inslee said. “Continued private investment, such as Comcast’s commitment, is essential to making sure that as many Washingtonians as possible have access.”

“This is welcomed news for Snohomish County residents, especially in a world where we are increasingly reliant on a broadband connection to work, learn, and teach. In our region, where we have some of the world’s largest technology companies, we still have too many residents without affordable access to the internet,” said Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01). “Bold investments like these will help families during this difficult time and beyond and help make sure students don’t fall behind because of their connectivity. It’s incumbent upon state and federal lawmakers to also help fill the connectivity gap in our rural communities and partner with the private sector.”

“Snohomish County welcomes Comcast’s significant investment in our rural communities and the expansion of broadband access,” said Snohomish County Executive Dave Sommers. “This investment will support workforce development, virtual education, overall quality of life, and greater access to high speed internet for our residents. I appreciate Comcast’s commitment to expanding broadband access in critical areas of Snohomish County.”

“This is excellent news for our rural communities, especially with kids online attending classes and parents working from home, said Sen. Keith Wagoner, R-Sedro Wooley. “The need for fast and secure internet service has never been greater and I’m glad to see Comcast step-up to help our underserved neighborhoods.”

“I’m thrilled to hear this news. For today’s generation, communication services are a necessity, not a luxury. This expanded network service will help thousands of individuals, families and businesses in our region. I’d like to thank everyone who worked so hard to make this change a reality,” said Rep. Carolyn Eslick, R-Sultan, 39th LD.

Snohomish County residents will have access to the entire Xfinity product suite, including Internet Essentials, the largest and most comprehensive low-cost Internet adoption program for low-income Americans. Since 2011, it has connected more than 85,000 low-income households statewide, many for the first time. Businesses will have access to the full suite of Comcast Business Internet, voice, and video services, including WiFi, Voice, TV and managed enterprise solutions for businesses of all sizes.

“We’re excited to expand our network into these rural communities. Connecting people to the power of technology is important and life-changing” said Rodrigo Lopez, Region Senior Vice President, Comcast Washington. “We will continue investing in our state. In one year alone, we spent $988 million in Washington to maintain and upgrade our network, help local charities, and keep children connected during school closures.”

Comcast has more than 4,200 of employees who serve more than 1.6 million residential and business customers throughout Washington state. Comcast is Washington’s leading provider of Xfinity video, high-speed Internet, smart home and phone services. Comcast operates Xfinity retail stores throughout Washington, which feature a welcoming and modern retail environment that highlights the complete line of Xfinity home and Comcast Business technology offerings, including Xfinity Mobile, Xfinity X1, Xfinity Home and Xfinity Internet. To learn more about Comcast in Washington, visit: https://washington.comcast.com/