Over the last 18 months or so, Comcast has been gathering franchise agreements with several Lehigh Valley municipalities to enter a competitive market for cable TV, internet and other digital services.
It announced Thursday that the first homes and businesses in Bethlehem Township and Emmaus are connected to high-speed, symmetrical internet from Xfinity. Comcast said more than 16,600 homes and businesses in both places can join the network.
“I am thrilled that the first homes and businesses in Bethlehem Township can now get access to Xfinity’s high-speed, reliable Internet,” state Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Northampton, said in a news release. “This investment is a huge win for our community as Comcast’s Xfinity brings choice and competition to our residents and business owners.”
Consumers curious about the offerings can go to Xfinity.com/mytown and enter their addresses for additional details on construction timing and upcoming service availability. Comcast’s expansion to Bethlehem Township and Emmaus is part of the company’s latest investment in the Lehigh Valley, which also includes expansions to Coopersburg and Upper Saucon Township, as well as upcoming projects in Freemansburg, Easton and Palmer, Forks and Lower Saucon townships.
“We are eager to offer our advanced network to thousands of new Northampton and Lehigh County residents and businesses so they can experience our suite of products and services, including Xfinity Mobile,” Dan Bonelli, Comcast regional senior vice president, said.
The Lehigh Valley has been served by two cable companies for decades — Service Electric Cable TV & Communications and Astound Broadband, formerly known as RCN. Both have operations centers in Bethlehem.
Portions of the Valley are served by other TV, internet and phone providers, including Blue Ridge Communications in Palmerton, Verizon Fios, and satellite providers DirectTV and Dish Network. Some consumers have gone to other streaming video services.