Comcast Proposal for Public - Private Partnership in the Town of Sharon

Comcast has submitted a proposal to the Town of Sharon, CT to build out its network along 28.5 miles of road in Sharon with 250 premises that have never before had access to its high-speed cable internet services. The town would pay $1.6 million to Comcast, roughly one-third of the total construction costs. The plan is to offer high-speed cable internet access to all residents in Sharon. Unsure if your home would be included in the Comcast proposal? Fill out our form and we will find out for you. Also, if you want Comcast high-speed internet and don't have it, fill out this form. We will share your request with Comcast to see if the company can wire your home as part of this project.

  • Town Cost.

    The town would pay in two installments: half at the start the rest upon project completion. The Board of Finance voted to pay the first $800,000 from the town budget’s “undesignated” fund and to approve a loan for the rest, if necessary, after applying ARPA or other funds.

  • Construction and Time.

    Comcast commits to finishing the project within six months of getting all needed permits. Service plans and equipment are the responsibility of those who wish to subscribe.

  • Service and Maintenance.

    Comcast will offer internet, TV, and phone service at different speed tiers and varying price ranges. The network will be owned by Comcast. Comcast will be responsible for all construction and maintenance.

If approved, it would be the first time that every home and business in Sharon has the opportunity to have access to high-speed, wired internet.

Sharon officials have pleaded unsuccessfully for more than 15 years with Comcast and Frontier to build out high-speed internet to all Sharon households. We learned during the pandemic how essential online access is. This proposal would give the opportunity to all residents in Sharon to work and learn online from home.

  • Learn More.

    View the Sharon Connect Task Force community meeting with Comcast on August 15, 2022.

    View Recording

  • Next Steps.

    The Board of Selectmen scheduled a Town Meeting for Friday, Oct. 28 at 6PM for residents to consider the proposal and vote to approve or reject it.

    Town Meetings

  • What are the Choices?

    • Do nothing.

    • Approve the Comcast proposal.

    • Hope for a future with a town-owned network.

    Compare

Comcast Information: Pricing, Products and Programs

 FAQs

  • Comcast uses a hybrid network: fiber is used on the main or “trunk” wiring and coaxial cable is used for wiring to the homes. Advances in technologies has allowed coaxial cable to achieve download speeds rivaling fiber (+1GB) and increase upload speeds to 35 mbps.

  • Unlikely. The town budget has cash in an undesignated fund that is more than sufficient to cover the total project cost of $1.6 million. The town may opt to finance the project another way, however.

  • No. If you like what you have, you can keep it.

  • Comcast offers several tiers of service, with different options, speed, and pricing. Please click on the “Explore Options” button above to find Comcast information on pricing, products and programs.