Comcast can help Rockford expand access to high-speed Internet service, drive economic growth and close the digital divide
Comcast surpasses 1,500 miles of network in Rockford
Comcast has more than 1,500 miles of fiber-rich network infrastructure in Rockford, including nearly 17,000 WiFi hotspots (and 23 million nationwide). Our network architecture allows us to deliver the same suite of innovative services, the same high-level customer experience and gigabit+ Internet speeds across Rockford, regardless of the zip code – making it a “Gigabit+ City.”
*Visit our Rockford Xfinity Store located at 6244 Mulford Village Drive.
Future proofing: We invest in our Xfinity Network to stay ahead of demand, support new technologies and accommodate changing lifestyles
Comcast has been serving Rockford for years. We have the track record, the longevity and the financial ability to invest in and partner with Rockford for the long term.
We invest in our network continually to make sure we meet the current and future needs of all the households and businesses we serve. In fact, over the last decade, Comcast has invested $30 billion in technology and network infrastructure nationally over the last decade – $1.4 billion over the last three years in Illinois alone – to deliver an even greater customer experience, increase reliability and speeds and double network capacity every 2.5 years to stay ahead of growing demand, an explosion of connected devices and technologies and more people than ever working and going to school remotely and on the go.
Comcast has committed $1 billion over 10 years to help make digital equity a reality
Started in 2021, Project UP is a comprehensive 10-year, $1 billion Comcast initiative designed to help make digital equity a reality and build a future of unlimited possibilities. Internet Essentials, one of Project UP’s centerpieces, provides low-cost Internet service, digital skills training and subsidized computers to eligible low-income households. Internet Essentials and Internet Essentials Plus are available to students of all ages – from grammar school to college – senior citizens, veterans and people with disabilities enrolled in public assistance programs, ranging from Medicaid to SNAP, as well as public housing residents. The program has helped 1.9 million Illinois residents access the Internet at home since it was launched in 2011.
In addition, Comcast has established WiFi-connected “Lift Zones” at nine community centers in and around Rockford. Lift Zones are safe spaces where students and families can get online for distance learning, to do homework, to learn new digital skills and to search for employment. Click here to find a Lift Zone near you.
We’re part of your community
Over the last five years alone, Comcast has provided $1 million in cash and in-kind funding for local non-profits, community events, sponsorships and other activities, including these organizations and more:
- Boys & Girls Club of Rockford
- African American Resource Center at Booker Washington Community Center
- CASA
- Crusader Community Health
- Discovery Center Museum
- Fatherhood Encouragement Project
- Habitat for Humanity
- La Voz Latina
- Rockford Juneteenth Weekend Celebration
- Rockford MELD
- Midway Village Museum
- NAACP of Rockford
- Patriots Gateway
- Rockford Park District
- Severson Dells Nature Center
- Stroll on State
- University Of Illinois College of Medicine
- YMCA of Rock River Valley
- YWCA Northwestern Illinois
- United Way of Rock River Valley
Comcast has been serving residents and businesses and supporting communities across Rockford for years. Following are announcements about Comcast’s initiatives in Rockford from over the last decade:
- March 2024: Comcast Boosts Speeds for Xfinity Internet Customers in Rockford Region
- June 2023: Comcast Offers Rockford Region Xfinity Customers NOW TV: A $20 Entertainment Option with 60+ Streaming and Fast Channels, Plus Peacock Premium
- April 2023: Digital Equity Program Launches in Rockford
- October 2022: Comcast Boosting Speeds for Xfinity Internet Customers in Rockford Region
- November 2021: Comcast’s Internet Essentials Program And Goodwill Industries International Expand Workforce Development Efforts Nationwide
- November 2021: Comcast Increases Xfinity Internet Speeds in Rockford Region
- September 2021: Illinois Digital Equity Tour Stops in Rockford to Commemorate Internet Essentials’ 10th Anniversary
- August 2021: Comcast Joins with Local Community-based Organizations to Launch WiFi-Connected “Lift Zones” in Several Rockford and other Northwest Illinois Locations
- August 2020: Rockford Public Schools District 205 and Comcast Announce Partnership to Provide Internet Service to Eligible Rockford Students and Families
- September 2019: Comcast Increases Speeds for most Internet Customers in the Rockford Region
- March 2019: Comcast to Open Xfinity Store in Rockford
- September 2018: Comcast Joins Local Officials to Announce Initiative to Close Digital Divide Among Low-income Veterans
- July 2018: Comcast Increases Internet Speeds Again in the Rockford Region
- November 2017: Comcast Increases Internet Speeds in the Rockford Region
- November 2016: Easterseals Serving Chicagoland and Rockford Receives $20,000 Assistive Technology Grant from Comcast Foundation
- September 2016: Comcast adds Xfinity WiFi hotspots in key Rockford Area Locations
- August 2016: Comcast and the Rockford Housing Authority Collaborate to close the Digital Divide for more than 5,300 HUD-assisted Households in Major Internet Essentials Program Expansion
- November 2014: Comcast Business Lights its 250th Mile of Fiber in the Rockford Area
- November 2014: Rockford Career College Selects Comcast Business Fiber-Based Ethernet Service to Help Students and Metro Area Compete in the 21st Century
- August 2013: Rockford Public Schools and Alignment Rockford Announce Academy Expo Sponsorship and Internet Essentials Campaign to Connect Students to the Internet
- March 2013: Comcast and VME Kids/Santillana Donated over 400 English/Spanish Books to Fairview Early Childhood Center
Comcast is proud to serve Rockford. We’re more than just your Internet Service Provider. We’re your friends, neighbors and coworkers, and we share a future. For more information, send an e-mail to economic_development@comcast.com.
