Comcast targets Chicago for fiber, coax expansion

Comcast says it will spend nearly $100 million over the next three years to expand its fiber and coax infrastructure in and around Chicago. The program includes what the service provider describes as a major network upgrade in downtown Chicago that will include the Central, East, North and West Loop, and River North and River West sections.

The new build out comes on top of the 11,000 miles of fiber-optic network infrastructure Comcast has deployed in the Greater Chicago Region over the past 20 years. Within the city itself, Comcast says its network passes nearly 90% of businesses and an even greater percent of households. The company also has launched its 2-Gbps Gigabit Pro broadband services offering in the city (see "Greater Chicago Region Comcast subscribers to access 2-Gbps Gigabit Pro service").

The new project aims to improve Comcast's business and residential services capabilities, including bringing its infrastructure closer to what the company said will be thousands of office and residential buildings. It also will help it keep abreast of rising competition from AT&T (see "Atlanta, Chicago next up for 1-Gbps GigaPower service says AT&T") and, potentially, Google Fiber (see "Google Fiber adds Chicago, Los Angeles to 'maybe' list").

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