Comcast network passes milestones in DuPage County
OAK BROOK - Comcast said that its network has surpassed 5,000 miles in length in DuPage County and reaches literally hundreds of thousands of local homes and businesses.
The company's Xfinity Wi-Fi network has more than 130,000 hot spots in the county, about 1 million in the state of Illinois and more than 15 million in locations nationwide.
"Having such an extensive network allows us to provide state-of-the-art services to homes and businesses in communities across the county. That includes the service we recently launched that delivers 1 Gigabit internet speeds over our existing 5,000 miles of network lines in DuPage County - and elsewhere across the region - without the need for construction or new lines," said John Crowley, Comcast's regional senior vice president. "The depth and length of our network also allows us to provide the most extensive Wi-Fi coverage in the country."
Xfinity Wi-Fi makes it possible for Xfinity TV customers to watch live TV and On Demand content on their mobile phones, tablets and laptops when their out and about, Crowley added. Comcast recently announced the launch of the Xfinity Stream app, which will allow the company's TV customers to watch up to 200 channels live when they're out and about, and access up to about 40,000 hours of On Demand movies and TV shows.
In DuPage County, Comcast has more than 2,100 employees in six county facilities, including large facilities in Elmhurst, Naperville and Oak Brook, which house functions ranging from technical and workforce operations to human resources, sales, marketing, external affairs and customer care.
In addition, Comcast is a member of Choose DuPage, a local economic development agency. The company also provides internet service and counsel to the Rev3 Innovation Center, a technology incubator for startup companies, located at Northern Illinois University's Naperville campus.
In addition, over the years, Comcast employees have completed several Comcast Cares Day volunteer clean up, maintenance and building projects for local community-based organizations, including Easter Seals of DuPage County; Habitat for Humanity; North Side Park and Aquatic Center; and the Wheaton Park District, among others.
Comcast also recently launched EveryBlock in Lisle and Naperville. EveryBlock is an interactive hyperlocal website that features information about specific geographic areas, including information, ranging from news feeds from local government entities and schools and messages from businesses and civic groups about local events, to business licenses, restaurant inspections, building permits and crime data. In addition, EveryBlock users can post comments and respond to one another on the site, making it a useful communications tool for communities.
"Access to high-tech infrastructure is a key to economic success now and in the future," said DuPage County Chairman Dan Cronin. "Between its technology infrastructure, its local presence and its investment in our communities, Comcast has contributed significantly to our local economy and helped make DuPage County a great place to work and live."