Mar. 25—Residents in four municipalities will have a new option for cable and internet services: Comcast.

This summer, the company will introduce its services to Port Carbon, Palo Alto, East Norwegian Twp. and New Castle Twp.

Comcast will offer its "full suite of services," which includes internet, cable and cellphone services, as well as home security systems, said Brian Dries, Palo Alto borough council president.

The boroughs of Palo Alto and Port Carbon signed franchise agreements with Comcast last July, and the company is expected to start installing the service in Palo Alto around the middle of the summer, Dries said.

Meanwhile, Comcast will start its buildout in Port Carbon in the second or third quarter of the year, according to Scott Krater, borough council president.

The boroughs have corresponded with Jennifer Frees, senior manager of government and external affairs at Comcast, on the installation of the service.

Dries said the new Comcast service gives residents an alternative to Wire Tele-View, which is currently the only cable provider in Palo Alto and Port Carbon.

For internet service, residents can choose between Wire Tele-View and Verizon.

"It'll be great to have a choice," Dries said.

Comcast also has franchise agreements with East Norwegian and New Castle townships, with the buildouts expected to begin this year.

Comcast's installation process typically takes at least a year after the franchise agreement is approved, according to the company.

"We are continuously looking at opportunities to bring our state-of-the-art products to more consumers and businesses where it is geographically and economically feasible to do so," said Josephine Posti, director of public relations for Comcast's Keystone Region. "We look forward to bringing our Xfinity and Comcast Business products to Port Carbon, Palo Alto, East Norwegian Twp. and New Castle Twp."

Outage issues

Wire Tele-View, which has serviced Port Carbon and Palo Alto for over 50 years, currently serves customers in six other municipalities, including Tremont and Pottsville. The company declined to comment for this story.

Among the Pottsville-based provider's notable recent outage issues was on Feb. 13, 2022, the day of the Super Bowl. A fiber break and equipment malfunction resulted in 590 internet customers in Pottsville, Port Carbon, Palo Alto and Cumbola, and 160 cable customers in Tremont, Donaldson and Newtown losing internet or cable for several hours.

The company's president, Joseph Kenney, said at the time that the company also experienced other internet issues that February.

Dries said the Super Bowl day trouble was likely a major factor in Comcast's approval of its franchise agreement, as many Palo Alto residents had contacted the company after the incident.

Some Palo Alto residents, according to Dries, look forward to subscribing to Comcast, while others plan to stick to Wire Tele-View due to the company's proximity.

"I think if there's a choice, you should leave it up to the customer," he said.

Wire Tele-View currently offers its base cable plan at $112.50 per month.

The company's cheapest internet plan, at 50 Mbps, is $91.20 per month, although customers can opt for a dual internet-and-cable plan at a reduced price of $68.20 per month.

Although Comcast prices in Palo Alto and Port Carbon have yet to be announced, the company offers cable plans in Pottsville ranging from about $30 to $120 per month, featuring up to 260 channels.

Customers in Pottsville can also choose from a range of internet plans starting at $25 per month, while the lowest internet-and-cable package is $55 per month.

Making the switch

Many cable and internet customers in Port Carbon said they are considering switching to Comcast due to its low prices.

Nichole Killeen, a lifelong Port Carbon resident, said she would "100%" convert to Comcast.

She currently pays $130 for a basic cable and internet plan from Wire-Teleview.

Killeen said she experienced frequent internet outages when she lived in the Schoentown part of Port Carbon.

"Sometimes the internet worked, and sometimes it didn't," she said.

She added that the "spotty" internet service from the current providers in the borough makes Port Carbon a less-than-ideal community for those who work from home.

"That's kind of steered some people away from this area," she said.

Marie Trout, who pays $200 for internet and cable, said she would also consider switching to a Comcast plan, citing recurrent issues with the video quality on her television.

"It would certainly be nice to have an option," she said. "If they offered both (internet and cable), that would be fantastic."

Another resident, Vince Kuperavage, discontinued his cable plan a few months ago, but still pays about $110 for Wire Tele-View internet.

However, he would consider paying for both internet and cable service from Comcast.

"I'd consider taking it (cable) back," he said.

Meanwhile, other residents have given up cable and satellite television entirely and now rely on streaming services.

Kristina Joy, of Jackson Street, currently pays for three subscriptions — Youtube TV, Peacock and Netflix — for less than $100 combined. She and her family recently canceled their DirecTV plan, which had cost $200 per month.

"I like it," Joy said. "I'm not going to complain."

Contact the writer: hlee@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6085