As America targets efforts towards connecting every community to robust broadband – including the distribution of more than $40 billion in federal funds for building new networks – cable providers continue to do what they have always done: build out their networks to reach as many Americans as possible.
Here is a small sampling of broadband projects by cable ISPs underway as they prepare to deliver superfast internet speeds in communities across parts of the South. Check out NCTA.com for other projects currently underway in the Midwest, Central U.S., the Pacific West, the Mid-Atlantic, and The South (Part 1).
Mississippi
Comcast has launched an extension to its gigabit network in Bolton and Edwards Counties. The project connected more than 1,700 homes and businesses. As part of the efforts to extend digital equity, the broadband leader also donated nearly 400 free laptops to kindergarten–8th-grade students in the local school district. At an event celebrating the new network and technology donation, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves said “The investment will help provide critical broadband access and support educational opportunities for Mississippi families. Thank you to Comcast for your continued work on this issue.”
Florida
- In Hernando County, Charter has connected more than 900 rural homes and small businesses.
- Across the state, Comcast is extending its 10G network to 25 different rural areas. The projects include Okeechobee, Lake, Indian River, and Clay Counties, and will connect an additional 40,000 residents, many of whom are previously unserved.
- In the Town of Archer, Cox has connected over 500 residents and businesses already. The ISP also donated $10,000 for digital education and robotics tools for the local elementary school, a critical step in expanding digital equity. Cox is also expanding its all-fiber network in North Central Florida, reaching around 7,000 homes by investing $20 million of its own capital in those communities.
South Carolina
Statewide, Comcast has been hard at work connecting thousands of new homes and businesses in rural areas. Some examples include the town of Calhoun Falls, where 1,000 homes and businesses are being connected to the ISP’s 10G network as well as the town of Aiken where more than 2,000 homes and small businesses have also been connected.
Tennessee
Across Weakley County, Charter is building a fiber-optic network buildout that will connect more than 3,700 rural homes and small businesses. Additionally, the ISP recently launched service to over 1,000 homes and small businesses across rural communities in Knox, Blount, Sevier, and Jefferson Counties.
Kentucky
Across the state, Charter has been hard at work extending its fiber-rich, gigabit network to thousands of rural residents. Some examples include the more than 5,300 homes and small businesses connected in Scott County, the 2,450 connected in Clark County, and the 1,700 soon to be connected in Simpson County.