Cox Communications shed some light on a previously announced multi-billion network investment plan, announcing it will spend more than $120 million over the next three years to build fiber and upgrade its DOCSIS network in Rhode Island.
The company said more than $20 million of its total investment will be dedicated to the deployment of fiber in the communities of Newport, Portsmouth, Middletown and Jamestown. Announcing its plan at an event in Providence, Cox CEO Mark Greatrex said the rollout will cover 35,000 homes and businesses in these areas with fiber-to-the-premises. Video of the event was posted online by local news group GoLocalProv.
“We were the first to make gigabit service available to all customers in the market utilizing our broadband-over-cable DOCSIS technology,” Greatrex stated. “This investment will further future-proof our network infrastructure and allow residents and businesses to support and develop the next generation of online applications.”
Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee added “We can’t expect our workforce to work from home or in the workplace if they don’t have access to reliable internet…As we have learned from the pandemic, broadband infrastructure is the key to staying connected and this investment will position Aquidneck Island to be prepared for the next generation of internet users.”
Dominick Ruggerio, Rhode Island’s Senate president, noted the investment will also provide a number of new job opportunities in the state “which is always welcome.”
A Cox representative confirmed the investment in Rhode Island is part of a plan the operator unveiled last month to spend several billion dollars over the coming years to deploy 10-gig capable fiber and upgrade its HFC infrastructure to DOCSIS 4.0.
When it made the original announcement, Cox was light on specifics. However, the representative indicated it may make additional local announcements like the one in Rhode Island “over the next few months.”