Comcast Takes Command in Plymouth County

Plymouth County has become Comcast Country. With the acquisition of Adelphia nearly two years ago, the communications giant has established itself as the leading cable provider in the region's 27 communities.

With that changeover in 2006, Comcast took control of a large portion of Southeastern Massachusetts, including the South Shore, Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard. But rather than sit back, the company embarked on an active improvement program of its cable, digital voice and internet services to keep its 1.6 million customers across the state satisfied.

"Since the rebranding to Comcast, we have made many enhancements for customers in Plymouth County," said Tom Coughlin, Vice President of the Southeastern Massachusetts region. "They include significant network improvements to increase reliability, increased internet speeds, launched On Demand, a library with more than 10,000 viewing options each month and expanded high-definition viewing choices."

When Adelphia provided service in Plymouth County, customer calls were outsourced to other parts of the country. When Comcast assumed ownership, this trend was reversed and the majority of customer-service calls were "insourced" to Massachusetts and New England call centers. This strategy is part of a company-wide effort to locate call centers in the communities where customers live. Comcast has located nine call centers in New England and five in Massachusetts, including its newest one in Plymouth.

Located in the Plymouth Industrial Park, this state-of-the-art building houses both the local office and new call center. The 46,000-square-foot facility employs approximately 330 employees who primarily serve customers in Comcast's Southeastern Massachusetts region, which stretches from Quincy to Province-town.

"This operation adds to Comcast's current commitment to Plymouth County," Coughlin said. "In total, nearly 500 employees work from Comcast's three Plymouth facilities. Comcast has more than 4,000 employees in Massachusetts and over 7,000 in New England."

Comcast is also a respected employer, earning recognition throughout New England for being a great place to work. The Boston Business Journal named the company a Best Place to Work for the last four years. Additionally, the Massachusetts Network Communications Council awarded Comcast the Fastest Growing Company Award in 2004, 2005 and 2007.

Comcast has done its part to be a good corporate neighbor. The company has invested significantly in the community, contributing more than $40,000 in cash grants to a variety of local organizations, such as the Boys & Girls Club of Plymouth, Plimoth Plantation, Old Colony YMCA, Plymouth County Red Cross and the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Massachusetts. Comcast also donates free cable television and high-speed internet services to schools, libraries and Boys & Girls Clubs in its service area.

Comcast has enhanced services for small- and medium-sized businesses with a suite of communications, information and entertainment services. Using the most reliable converged video, voice and data network in the world, Comcast provides Business Class High-Speed Internet, Voice and TV in a variety of packages designed to boost productivity and efficiency.

"Until now, many of these features were unavailable to small- and medium-sized companies," Coughlin said. "These services were often reserved for big companies. With Comcast, local businesses now can leverage the power of a fully-converged nationwide fiber-optic communications network."

Of course, Comcast also provides advertising packages for cable television throughout Plymouth County. Its Spotlight Division offers a variety of products and services for companies to reach their desired markets.

"We make it easy for local businesses to get their advertising on the air quickly and seamlessly," said Jan Butler, Vice President of Marketing & Research for Comcast Spotlight's North Central Division. "We help with everything - from schedule building to spot creation - and we've got research, marketing and production tools to help with any or all of it. With 40-plus networks, plus online and on demand offerings, Plymouth County businesses can choose from a variety of unique marketing opportunities to deliver for them."

With all of the changes, Comcast has no desire to rest on its laurels. It intends to improve services and maintain a high level of commitment to Plymouth County well into the future.

"Comcast wants to maintain its leadership role," Coughlin said. "We will continue to support our products with America's leading fiber-optic network and the most advanced IP infrastructure, offer superior HD and unmatched interactive TV experiences, deliver the best customer experience from end-to-end and be leaders in innovation.

"We look forward to serving Plymouth County and beyond for years to come." www.comcast.com

Copyright Plymouth County Development Council, Inc. Jun 2008
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