Comcast selling faster connections to mid- to large-sized firms in KC market

Comcast announced Monday it has begun selling new fiberoptic connections to businesses in parts of the Kansas City market, offering high-speed internet and private network connections to medium-sized and larger companies in Olathe and eastern Jackson County.

The more robust bandwidth connections, sold under the Comcast Business Ethernet Services brand, can wire private business networks that hook up several locations to share data and applications such as phone service. The fiberoptic connections can also be used as on-ramps to the internet, said Jonathan Wendroff, the head of enterprise sales for the region.

The new broadband service is aimed at operations, including schools and hospitals, with roughly 50 or more employees. Businesses will be able to buy connections of varying speeds, ranging from 1 megabit per second to 100 gigabits per second, Wendroff said, although few institutions have shown interest in connections faster that 10 gigabits per second.

After coming to terms with a customer, Wendroff said, installation and activation of the connections can average 45 to 60 days. Yet he said institutions that already have fiberoptic connections might expect a quicker turnaround.

This story was originally published February 6, 2017 at 4:25 PM with the headline "Comcast selling faster connections to mid- to large-sized firms in KC market."