Comcast says it has signed contracts with Indiana’s Office of Community & Rural Affairs (OCRA) that will lead to fiber network deployments to more than 10,000 homes and businesses in 19 counties within the state. Under this latest phase of OCRA’s Next Level Connections grants, Comcast will spend $36 million to match the state’s $13.6 million for the fiber network expansion.
The project targets unserved parts of Indiana in the counties of Allen, Bartholomew, Carroll, Cass, Delaware, Fayette, Hendricks, Jennings, Johnson, Hamilton, Huntington, La Porte, Madison, Marshall, Montgomery, Morgan, Porter, Starke, and Wayne. Comcast says it will immediately begin work on the multiple pre-construction priorities of these expansion projects. Comcast expects the fiber to the home (FTTH) deployment to complete within two years.
“Next Level Connections is used as a model by other states to deliver the best tech infrastructure to rural areas,” said Indiana Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, who also serves as Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “The investments made by Comcast and other partners will not only benefit residents and businesses but also contribute to Indiana’s rural economic engine.”
“Ensuring all Hoosiers have access to reliable, high-speed internet has been a top priority for Comcast,” added Joni Hart, vice president of government affairs for Comcast in Indiana. “As the world we live in becomes increasingly digital, we remain focused on not only bringing our broadband network to more Indiana homes and business, but also meeting the ever-increasing appetite for education, business, telemedicine, entertainment, and more.”
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Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave
Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.
Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.
He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, and more.
You can connect with Stephen on LinkedIn as well as Twitter.