EDISON, NJ – Comcast has received approval from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities to operate a system-wide franchise in Edison. The company will begin construction immediately on a multi-year project, with some residents expected to receive Xfinity services within the next three months. However, the complete expansion will take a few years.
This expansion will bring Comcast’s Xfinity and Comcast Business services to over 40,000 residents and businesses across Edison. Comcast will be fully funding this substantial private investment.
The addition of Comcast to the market that already includes Verizon 5g and Optimum could make the possibility of municipal broadband in Edison unlikely. The fiber network development business plan released on March 15th showed financial projections that would cost the Edison taxpayer $185 million to fully launch municipal broadband.
Interested residents and businesses can sign up for updates on construction progress and service availability by visiting Xfinity.com. Alternatively, they can visit the Woodbridge Xfinity store at 899 St. Georges Ave. for product demonstrations, answers to questions, or to schedule an informational meeting for businesses with the Comcast Business sales team.
“Comcast is excited to bring our advanced products and services to tens of thousands of residents and businesses in Edison,” said Dan Bonelli, senior vice president of Comcast’s Freedom Region, in a statement. “We are thrilled to continue our investments in the state, offering more choice to residents with fast, secure and reliable internet services that are built to meet the community’s needs today and into the future.”
The expansion will include access to Comcast’s Internet Essentials program, providing low-cost, high-speed broadband services for income-constrained households. This aligns with the Township’s and Comcast’s commitment to expanding internet access for everyone.
This expansion marks a significant step forward for Edison. It introduces much-needed competition to the local internet service provider landscape. It does however raise the question of, is municipal broadband feasible and at what cost?
