Hopewell Township Committee last week announced a public-private partnership to expand Comcast’s network into unserved areas of Hopewell Township, ensuring high speed broadband is available to every resident, farm and small business throughout the community. This expansion will bring Comcast’s fast, reliable and fiber-rich network along with its innovative suite of Xfinity products and services, including residential broadband speeds up to one gigabit per second (Gbps), to the 132 unserved rural homes and 13 businesses in the Township.
“High-speed Internet access is critical to connect to work, school, family, friends and entertainment, and I am so pleased we can now provide this for every resident, farmer and small business in our township,” said Hopewell Township Mayor Paul J. Ritter III. “Our public-private partnership with Comcast is the first of its kind in Cumberland County and New Jersey and allowed us to extend network access quickly and in a cost-effective way to our constituents. We are proud to set this example and provide a model for other rural towns to fill broadband deployment gaps in their communities, while helping our residents, farmers and small businesses enjoy the benefits that digital access brings.”
“Comcast is committed to ensuring everyone can fully participate in the digital economy, and we are proud to help Mayor Ritter and Township officials meet their goal of connecting every resident and business to broadband access,” said Dan Bonelli, Senior Vice President for Comcast’s Freedom Region.
Residential customers in these areas will be able to take advantage of Xfinity’s full suite of Internet products, including supersonic WiFi technology from powerful gateways, xFi Advanced Security, Xfinity Mobile and the ultimate entertainment with Flex, a free 4K platform for Internet-only customers that seamlessly delivers streaming content.
Residents can also learn more about the federal government’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides eligible low-income households with a credit of up to $30 per month toward their Internet and/or mobile service. The credit can be applied to any tier of Xfinity Internet service and with Comcast’s Internet Essentials or Internet Essentials Plus, customers can get Internet at no cost once the federal credit is applied. Internet Essentials customers can also add a line of unlimited 5G cellular data ($45) through Xfinity Mobile for as little as $24.95/month after the ACP benefit is applied.
For local businesses, Comcast Business offers a suite of connectivity, communications, networking, cybersecurity, wireless and managed solutions to help organizations of different sizes prepare for what’s next. Powered by the nation’s largest Gig-speed broadband network, and backed by 24/7 customer support, Comcast Business is the nation’s largest cable provider to small and mid-size businesses and one of the leading service providers to the Enterprise market. Comcast Business has been consistently recognized by industry analysts and associations as a leader and innovator, and one of the fastest growing providers of Ethernet services.
Over the last three years, Comcast has invested more than $1 billion in technology and infrastructure in New Jersey, including improvements to its broadband network. Comcast is also deeply committed to advancing digital equity in the communities it serves. The company’s recent community partnerships in New Jersey have totaled $18.1 million in cash and in-kind contributions to more than 190 local non-profits over the last three years.
This investment includes the installation of 35 Lift Zones, which provide free WiFi service to local community centers to promote digital learning. Internet Essentials and Lift Zones are part of Project UP, Comcast’s comprehensive, 10-year, $1 billion pledge to advance digital equity through programs and community partnerships that connect people to the Internet, advance economic mobility, and open doors for the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, storytellers and creators.
Hopewell Township was founded in 1748 and incorporated in 1798, which makes it one of the original townships in the state. According to the most recent census count available, Hopewell Township has an estimated population of 4,571 people and 1,662 households. Hopewell spans a total are of about 31 square miles and borders municipalities in Cumberland Counter, including Bridgeton, Fairfield Township, Greenwich Township, Shiloh, Stow Creek Township, and Upper Deerfield Township.
