Staff reports 10:04 a.m.
Wednesday, December 6, 2017 10:03 am

ROCHESTER - Comcast and the City of Rochester announced today they have signed a 10-year cable franchise, giving residents and businesses in Rochester a new choice for TV, internet, voice, home automation and wireless services.

In a first in New Hampshire's history, construction of an overbuild to extend Comcast's advanced network into the city will begin in 2018.

Comcast will also make available internet speeds of up to 1 Gbps for residents and 100 Gbps to business customers.

"We welcome and applaud Comcast's commitment to serve Rochester with its innovative services, and we are exceptionally pleased that Rochester will soon be able to offer a new choice of television, internet, and phone providers to our residents and growing list of business owners," said Rochester City Manager Daniel Fitzpatrick.

The buildout will benefit Rochester's more than 30,000 residents and the city's quickly growing business community. Rochester is already recognized as one of the most business-friendly cities in New Hampshire. The city is rated "A+" for business friendliness by Thumbtack, and the Rochester Economic Development Corporation provides business owners with a litany of resources and information on programs, incentives, and financing solutions.

Today, Comcast is available in 103 communities in New Hampshire and employs over 2,000 people in New Hampshire.

Comcast will offer Rochester customers its complete portfolio of Xfinity services, including:

The X1 Platform for video service;

Xfinity Internet with gigabit speed;

Xfinity Home: security and home automation services;

Xfinity Mobile and Xfinity Voice: home phone service.

Rochester businesses will also have access to the Comcast Business suite of products, which include

Business Dedicated Internet up to 100 Gbps;

Business Voice: providing office phone solutions for small, medium and large businesses and

Business Video

Of note, Granite State businesses have selected Comcast Business as the #1 telecom provider for the last five years in a row as part of the annual BOB/Best of Business Award from New Hampshire Business Review.

Comcast gives back to the communities where its employees and customers live and work and supports nonprofit organizations focused on digital inclusion, volunteerism and service. In New Hampshire, Comcast partners with organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, Girls Inc. and Boys & Girls Clubs. Also, Comcast's Internet Essentials program is available throughout the Granite State. It is designed to help families with children in the National School Lunch Program as well as residents of HUD-assisted housing. Eligible customers can obtain Internet service for $9.95/month, participate in free digital literacy training programs and have the opportunity to buy a computer for less than $150.

"We are delighted to sign this 10-year franchise agreement with the City of Rochester and we are eager to bring our Xfinity and Comcast Business products and services to a city where there is clear consumer demand," said Tracy Pitcher, Senior Vice President for Comcast's Greater Boston Region.