Comcast finishes Eastern Ohio rural build: 2,300 unserved homes and businesses now live

One of Ohio’s long-running rural expansions has crossed the finish line. On 27 August 2026, Comcast announced it has completed a network expansion bringing Xfinity and Comcast Business services to more than 2,300 previously unserved rural homes and businesses across five Eastern Ohio counties, built with support from BroadbandOhio.

The finished footprint covers communities in Belmont, Columbiana, Harrison, Jefferson and Mahoning counties, joining more than 65 million homes and businesses nationwide with access to Xfinity and Comcast Business, according to the company’s announcement. The network is fiber-powered, carrying Xfinity’s bundle of internet, mobile, entertainment and smart-home services alongside Comcast Business connectivity.

“Access to high-speed Internet is fundamental to economic opportunity and long-term community growth,” said Jefferson County Commissioner Tony Morelli. “We appreciate Comcast’s partnership with the state in helping bring Xfinity Internet to previously unserved areas, ensuring more Ohioans can participate fully in today’s connected world – from remote work and online learning to telehealth, entrepreneurship, agriculture, public safety, and staying connected with family and community.”

What “complete” actually means here

In buildout reporting, “complete” means the fiber is in the ground and addresses are serviceable — not that every household has signed up. Comcast says residents can check their address at Xfinity.com and businesses at ComcastBusiness.com to see if they’re eligible. If your road was on the project map, now is the time to check: take-up in the first months after a build goes live is one of the metrics the state watches when judging whether public support for these expansions paid off. The federal machinery behind builds like this keeps evolving — NTIA has opened a second BEAD round for billions in leftover funding.

“Bringing Xfinity and Comcast Business to these rural Ohio communities gives residents and businesses a powerful new tool to level the playing field,” said Dan Bonelli, Comcast regional senior vice president. “This investment reflects our commitment to expanding access to high-speed internet and partnering with local and state leaders to support economic growth and opportunity.”

What it means for Eastern Ohio

For households that have been stuck on slow DSL or satellite, the practical change is immediate: a wired option with real upload speeds is now orderable at more than 2,300 addresses that previously had nothing at 25/3 or better. The usual advice applies — compare the actual installed price (not the promo), check whether the plan you want requires a contract, and if your address still shows as unserved, file a challenge with the FCC’s broadband map so the next round of funding sees you. Cooperatives are playing a growing role in these builds — an Indiana electric co-op’s $13.2M BEAD grant shows how the same programme is funding fibre in its own four-county territory, while Minnesota’s Paul Bunyan co-op is nearing completion on a 1,800-location fibre build of its own.