Pierce County and Comcast Partner to Bring High Speed Internet to Key Peninsula

Pierce County and Comcast have finalized an agreement that will expand the availability of high-speed internet services on the Key Peninsula. Comcast will construct the infrastructure and make available a fast and reliable fiber-rich network and full suite of services to over 526 Key Peninsula homes and businesses, including multi-gig broadband speeds for residential customers and speeds up to 100 Gbps for business customers.

The approximately $5 million high-speed internet expansion project is being funded as a public-private partnership between Comcast and Pierce County, with the County contributing $3.75 million of federal funding allocated through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA).

Comcast’s partnership with Pierce County the latest example of the company’s network investment made in Washington state. Over the past three years, Comcast has invested $1 billion in the company’s technology and infrastructure in Washington, including upgrades to its network to reach more residents and businesses. As a result, more than approximately 2.8 million Washington homes and businesses have access to Xfinity and Comcast Business products and services.

“Now, more than ever, it is crucial that people have access to high-speed Internet,” said Bruce Dammeier, Pierce County Executive.  “Whether for work, school or entertainment, we want to help all County residents enjoy the benefits of this important infrastructure.”

“Today’s announcement about the expansion of high-speed internet services on the Key Peninsula is an extension of our commitment to investing in and expanding our network to ensure that more residents and businesses across our region have the important broadband connections they need for their educational, professional and personal lives,” said Roy Novosel, vice president of engineering, Comcast’s Pacific Northwest Region. “We are proud to connect these communities with fast, secure and reliable internet service that is built to meet their needs today and into the future.”

Once the expanded network has been activated, eligible customers in Comcast’s service area on the Key Peninsula will be able to sign up for the company’s Internet Essentials program, which provides low-cost, high-speed broadband for income-constrained households. Comcast has connected more than 21,000 households in Pierce County to high-speed Internet at home, many for the first time, through the Internet Essentials program. Comcast also participates in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides qualifying households with a $30 monthly credit toward internet and mobile services.

Residential customers will also be able to take advantage of Xfinity’s full suite of internet products, including:

• Speeds faster than 1 Gbps and advanced WiFi technology from powerful gateways capable of delivering those speeds to support the ever-increasing number of connected devices in homes.
• These customers will also benefit from Comcast’s network build out with multi-gig internet speeds and eventual rollout of 10G-enabled multi-gig symmetrical speeds
• Xfinity Mobile, built for the way consumers use mobile today, with the Internet at the core of the experience, the top ranked service in customer satisfaction can save customers up to $600 a year on their mobile bills;
• Flex, a free 4K platform for internet-only customers that seamlessly delivers streaming content;
• xFi, available in the Xfinity app, a digital dashboard to control home WiFi network that includes Advanced Security protecting every device on the network from malware and security threats.

Key Peninsula businesses in the expanded service area, Comcast Business will offer a suite of connectivity, communications, networking, cybersecurity, wireless, and managed solutions to help organizations of different sizes prepare for what’s next. Powered by the nation’s largest Gig-speed broadband network, and backed by 24/7 customer support, Comcast Business is the nation’s largest cable provider to small and mid-size businesses and one of the leading service providers to the Enterprise market. Comcast Business has been consistently recognized by industry analysts and associations as a leader and innovator, and one of the fastest growing providers of Ethernet services.

For more information about Pierce County’s broadband expansion initiative please visit www.piercecountywa.gov.

Information about Comcast’s broadband investments in rural communities and the Key Peninsula expansion is available at Rural Broadband Expansion | Comcast Washington.

About Pierce County

Nearly 1 million residents live in Pierce County, the second largest county in the state of Washington. Our mission is to build strong communities that people are proud to call home. From the top of towering Mt. Rainier to the sparkling shores of Puget Sound, and everywhere in between, Pierce County is an amazing place to live, work and raise a family.