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MORGANTOWN - So far, the public/private partnership between Comcast and the Monongalia County Commission has connected more than 1,400 Monongalia County homes and businesses to broadband.
Another 1,300 are in line to be online by the year's end.
Comcast provided those numbers in a Thursday press release.
"Together, Comcast and Monongalia County are bringing more residents and businesses access to the full suite of Xfinity and Comcast Business services, which is especially meaningful for those who previously had limited or no high-speed Internet options," Comcast Regional Senior Vice President Dan Bonelli said in the release.
All told, the county commission dedicated approximately $8 million of its $20.6 million American Rescue Plan Act allocation to leverage more than $20 million in broadband expansion, primarily through four deployment projects with Comcast.
In June 2024, the county announced it was putting up $5.9 million in APRA funding to pull in an $11.84 million private investment from Comcast aimed at connecting more than 2,100 homes and businesses in unserved and underserved areas across the county, particularly the western end.
The original anticipated completion date for that project passed at the end of March. In August, the commission extended that agreement through Nov. 1.
Additionally, Comcast is working on projects in the Stewarts Run and Snake Hill areas.
While separate locations, those projects were packaged together and expected to make broadband available to more than 120 homes and businesses. Utilizing ARPA funds, the county provided $944,593 of the $1.48 million total cost.
Lastly, Comcast is working on a $175,377 project paid out of the county's general fund to lay 1.8 miles of cable to connect fewer than a dozen households off River Road.
Comcast notes customers are being connected across several areas of the county, including rural pockets in the western, central and eastern regions.
Residents can visit xfinity.com/mytown and enter their address for construction timing and service availability.
"Reliable broadband is no longer a luxury. It's crucial infrastructure," Commissioner Sean Sikora is quoted as saying in the Comcast release. "Through our partnership with Comcast, we're proud to help close West Virginia's digital divide by bringing more Monongalia County residents and businesses online to work, learn, access healthcare, accomplish everyday tasks and connect with family and friends."
Comcast says it will have connected more than 2,700 homes and businesses across the county by Dec. 31, which is the deadline by which ARPA-funded projects must be completed and fully paid out.
“The project, funded in part by the American Rescue Plan Act, brings Comcast’s fiber network to rural Monongalia County communities that have historically faced challenges getting online. By combining public and private investment, Monongalia County and Comcast are helping more residents and businesses get the connectivity they need today, while delivering a network built for the future — with the speed, reliability and capacity to power everything from remote work and learning to emerging technologies for years to come,” the press release states.
In addition to the Comcast projects, the county provided $791,421, or 83% or a $959,519 project with Frontier to install 11 miles of fiber to target 80 unserved and underserved locations in the area of Gladesville and Halleck roads.
That expansion, which was completed in October 2025, made connections possible for an additional 170 locations in the surrounding area.