Maurice River, Comcast confirm Internet contract for service expansion in bayside township
MAURICE RIVER TWP. — More than 100 rural homes and businesses will have access to Xfinity 10G service by the end of next year, Comcast and township officials say.
Mayor Ken Whildin said the “equal access” to high-speed Internet service through the project will aid educational, public safety, and economic development here.
“I’m excited that Maurice River Township will be among the first communities in New Jersey to solve the long-running problem of rural broadband availability," Whildin said.
The sparsely populated township has some 6,200 residents in about 93 square miles, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
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A Comcast executive, Dan Bonelli, said the firm "is uniquely positioned to deliver digital access quickly and affordably to rural unserved homes and businesses."
No date set for the start of construction, according to a statement last week from Comcast.
Buildout deal took shape in December
At an April 26 meeting Maurice River officials reported the contract with Comcast was done but for adding language setting the scope of the work. The Township Committee voted then to authorize the mayor to execute an agreement.
The township had advertised last year for bids to extend broadband service. Comcast submitted the only offer, and the committee awarded it the project in December.
The award resolution put the cost at $725,762.
The township's cost was set at 63 percent, or $459,248, using funding from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Comcast will pay the balance of $266,514.
Comcasts says prospective customers here will be mailed notices approximately 30 days before a connection is available in their areas.
Residents also can visit Xfinity.com, call 1-800-XFINITY, or visit the Xfinity Store at 2160 North Second Street in Millville to see if service is available.
The Xfinity Store also can help with product demonstrations, answering questions, and scheduling meetings with businesses.
Last December, Hopewell Township and Comcast struck a similar buildout deal at a cost of approximately $1.5 million. That work is expected to reach about 150 homes and businesses, and to be complete in early 2024.
Comcast says it has spent nearly $1 billion on technology and infrastructure in New Jersey in the last there years, including on its broadband network.
Joe Smith is a N.E. Philly native transplanted to South Jersey more than 30 years ago, keeping an eye now on government in South Jersey. He is a former editor and current senior staff writer for The Daily Journal in Vineland, Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, and the Burlington County Times.
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This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Internet service expansion in Maurice River in deal with Comcast
