EVERETT — Comcast plans to build a major fiber-optic network between Marysville and Arlington, bringing quick internet connections and better business prospects to that stretch of I-5.
The $1.5 million investment should be ready by mid-2018. The cable and media giant made the announcement Monday along with Snohomish County.
“By targeting the Arlington and Marysville area with this significant investment, we expect to see additional jobs and greater opportunities,” County Executive Dave Somers said.
The new network should provide up to 10 gigabits per second. Matt Fassnacht, Washington region vice president of Comcast Business, said his company hopes to boost job-creation efforts already underway in north Snohomish County. Schools, hospitals and other organizations increasingly need big bandwidth to do business.
Arlington and Marysville are working with other governments to lure manufacturing and industrial businesses through tax benefits and other incentives. They hope to attract up to 20,000 more jobs during the next couple of decades to the Arlington-Marysville Manufacturing Industrial Center, which includes Arlington Municipal Airport.
Arlington Mayor Barb Tolbert and Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring welcomed the investment.
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