Greater Grays Harbor, Inc. is pleased to officially welcome new member, Comcast!

Comcast is deeply committed to Washington, where our 3,800+ employees serve more than 1.6 million residential and business customers throughout our state footprint. Comcast is Washington’s leading provider of high-speed broadband, media, and entertainment services. The company operates regional field offices and Xfinity retail stores across the state, which allows Comcast to serve each of the communities it operates within locally. The stores offer a welcoming and modern retail environment that highlights the complete line of Xfinity Home and Comcast Business technology offerings, including Xfinity Mobile, Xfinity X1, Xfinity Home and Xfinity Internet, and the Xfinity Flex streaming device. 

For local businesses, Comcast Business offers a suite of internet and business solutions to help organizations of different sizes prepare for what’s next. Utilizing the nation’s largest Gig-speed network, Comcast Business offers a full suite of broadband services and solutions to help small and mid-size businesses. 

One of the most unique things about Comcast is our work to support our local communities. We have nearly 4,000 Washingtonians working to keep our neighbors connected to the services they need, and over the last year, that work has become more important than ever. To help address digital equity and inclusion, we have several unique programs to help ensure everyone has equitable access to the internet and related resources.  

Comcast Internet Essentials and Lift Zones:

Comcast Washington has connected 560,000 low-income individuals statewide to broadband internet over the last decade, through our internet adoption program Internet Essentials. Internet Essentials solves the barrier to internet adoption for vulnerable communities through wraparound programming that includes free digital literacy training resources, the option to purchase an Internet-ready computer for less than $150; and low-cost, high-speed Internet service for $9.95 a month plus tax. Through this three-pronged approach, our company has been able to bridge the digital divide and connect students, families and communities in need of affordable internet resources.  

In addition to the total number of people Internet Essentials has helped, other things Comcast has done to support our local community through the program include: 

  • We have increased Internet Essentials speeds six times, from 1.5 Mbps in 2011 to 50 Mbps today, without ever-increasing the price of the program, which has remained $9.95/month. 
  • Participated in the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) K-12 Internet Access Program to help students and families connect to school online during the 2020-2021 school year. 
  • Developed an Internet Essentials Partnership Program that offers subsidized broadband service through hundreds of schools to help connect thousands of students to the Internet during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
  • Offered 60 days of free Internet service to any new Internet Essentials customer who needed to get online during the coronavirus outbreak. 
  • Built an online learning center that includes more than 200 digital literacy training videos, guides, and reports that are free to anyone to use, including non-customers. 
  • Developed a national employee network of 3,000 Internet Essentials Ambassadors who volunteer their time to help spread the word about the program in their communities. 

Lastly, to connect students and families to the internet outside their homes during the pandemic, Comcast launched our Lift Zone program here in Washington state. Lift Zones are Wi-Fi-connected community centers offering free internet connectivity for people to use in a safe environment. Working with our network of nonprofit partners and city leaders, we have connected community centers in counties across the state, and plan to have 80 up and running by the end of 2021.   

Know a local community center or nonprofit in Grays Harbor County that could benefit from free WiFi to help the community? Reach out Comcast Washington! 

Comcast RISE Brings More Resources to Small Businesses owned by People of Color:  

Comcast RISE was formed to give small businesses owned by people of color – including Black, Indigenous, Hispanic, Asian American among others – the tools needed to not just survive, but thrive after the pandemic. 

According to a National Bureau of Economic Research study, the number of Black business owners plummeted last year from 1.1 million to 640,000 in four months — a 41% loss. Other minority communities also experienced deep losses, including immigrants (a 36 percent drop), Latinx (32 percent), and Asian (26 percent) business owners. 

This program addresses these issues and brings equitable resources to owners and entrepreneurs of color who have had a lack of access to recovery resources. Through Comcast RISE, we are providing local businesses grants for free technology upgrades, marketing, and advertising, Comcast Business services, and more. 

We are pleased to have offered approximately 100 small businesses statewide technology, marketing, and advertising resources since we launched in November 2020. These recipients are part of nearly 2,500 small business owners nationwide who have been selected as awardees.  

Are you or is someone you know a business owner in need of assistance? We are currently accepting more applicants for our next rounds of grants we are giving out throughout the rest of this year and into 2022. Apply Today at www.comcastrise.com

Engage with Comcast Washington by visiting there blog, Twitter, national Facebook page or Instagram. Local businesses interested in learning more about Comcast Business services visit can head to business.comcast.com/local/washington.