GROTON, Conn.,
July 20, 2015
/PRNewswire/ -- Comcast Business
today announced that it has been selected by Connecticut
United for Research Excellence, Inc. (CURE) as the founding
technology network services partner for the CURE
Innovation Commons, a 24,000-square-foot incubator in
Groton, Connecticut, focused on
advancing bioscience entrepreneurship and commercialization in the
state. Governor Dannel P. Malloy
joined the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern
Connecticut and Comcast Business officials during a special
groundbreaking ceremony earlier today to commemorate this new
partnership, which also marked the availability of multi-Gigabit
Ethernet services across Comcast's entire Connecticut footprint of 83 local
communities.
Officially formed in 1990 as a joint educational
initiative between Yale University,
UCONN and leaders of pharmaceutical
companies like Pfizer and Boehringer-Ingelheim, CURE today is
addressing a very practical need in southeastern Connecticut for community lab space where
entrepreneurs may access services, equipment and mentors to help
grow their businesses. By connecting local entrepreneurs in the
life sciences industry with universities, government agencies,
scientists, investors and more, CURE aims to build a statewide
community and be a catalyst for innovation that keeps the
Connecticut economy
strong.
"Our member companies represent a diverse array of
industries – both large and small – that range from therapeutics,
healthcare technology and medical devices to agriculture,
pharmacology and marine science. Each one, however, requires access
to a reliable communications network that offers fast Internet
speeds alongside the ability to scale to multi-Gigabit capacity as
business demands change," said Susan
Froshauer, Ph.D., president and CEO of CURE. "Comcast
Business is giving our members a robust network infrastructure
that, when paired with the educational and financial resources we
already offer, will continue to keep Connecticut at the forefront of
innovation."
As part of this agreement, Comcast Business is providing
the CURE Innovation Commons with 1 Gigabit-per-second (Gbps)
Ethernet Dedicated Internet service. In addition
to supporting both external network activity and all of the
building's WiFi traffic, this Ethernet service will be integral to
spurring new bioscience incubators on the Groton campus. Members will also receive
access to Comcast Business VoiceEdge™, a
cloud-based voice and unified communications solution that helps
keep entrepreneurs connected anytime, anywhere. These robust
services available in Groton will
not only exceed CURE's needs in performing cutting-edge life
science research in the state, but will also allow the incubator to
continue competing globally as an innovation leader in the
bioscience field.
"The life sciences companies within the CURE Innovation
Commons will embody the energy, creativity and determination that
Connecticut businesses have shown
for centuries. Having access to the right network infrastructure at
a competitive price is what will allow our state to truly compete
on a global scale," said Tony
Sheridan, president of the Chamber of Commerce of
Eastern Connecticut. "We applaud
Comcast Business for investing so heavily in our region and
bringing the benefits of Ethernet to businesses here in
southeastern Connecticut."
During the groundbreaking ceremony, which signified the
beginning of the installation of Comcast Business Ethernet into the
CURE Innovation Commons, representatives from both Comcast Business
and the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern
Connecticut joined Governor Dannel
P. Malloy to put the ceremonial first shovels in the
ground.
"Our relationship with CURE marks the formal availability
of multi-Gigabit Ethernet services across our entire Connecticut footprint, which means that we can
now meet the needs of businesses within the 83 communities we serve
in the state, regardless of size or industry," said Paul Savas, vice president of Comcast Business
in Connecticut. "This is a major
milestone for us, as it validates the investment we've made and
work we've been doing to make our advanced fiber network accessible
to local startups and entrepreneurs so they can turn their
innovative ideas into a reality."
With today's announcement, Connecticut businesses can now
take advantage of four different types of Comcast Business
multi-Gigabit Ethernet services,
including:
- Ethernet Private Line –
point-to-point service between two customer sites for
bandwidth-intensive applications.
- Ethernet Virtual Private Line –
point-to-multipoint service that allows customers to tailor
capacity, performance characteristics and cost to meet the needs of
their applications.
- Ethernet Network Service –
multipoint-to-multipoint service to connect organizations with
high-bandwidth requirements and multiple locations across Comcast's
network.
- Ethernet Dedicated Internet –
continuous, high-capacity service between customers' LANs and the
public Internet.
All of Comcast's multi-Gigabit Ethernet services are
delivered over an advanced network that spans 145,000 miles across
39 states and the District of
Columbia. Serving 20 of the top 25 U.S. markets, Comcast's
network features a 100 Gbps backbone and expanded local footprint
through Ethernet over HFC. Bandwidth is available up to 10 Gbps and
can be scaled in increments and offered in three different classes
of service, backed by service level agreements and monitored
24x7x365 from Comcast's dedicated Network Operations Centers.
Comcast was the first service provider in the world to offer
Metro Ethernet Forum CE 2.0 certified Ethernet
services and was also the first service provider to achieve all
three of the previous CE 1.0 certifications (MEF 9, 14 and
18).
Comcast Business recently received four Metro Ethernet
Forum (MEF) Ethernet Excellence Awards,
including the prestigious Best Service of the Year for North America. In addition, Comcast Business
was named the fastest-growing Ethernet provider on Vertical Systems
Group's Year-End 2014 U.S. Carrier Ethernet
LEADERBOARD for the second consecutive
year.
About CURE
CURE serves
as the bioscience cluster of Connecticut, a diverse community of small and
large life and healthcare sciences companies, ranging in scope from
therapeutics, to healthcare technology, to medical devices.
Universities, government agencies, scientists, educators, mentors,
students, entrepreneurs, business experts, service providers, and
investors have joined in to form the breadth of the network.
Participants in CURE educate, cultivate entrepreneurship, support
the build of bioscience companies, and collaborate to ensure a
sustainable, high-value bioscience and healthcare community that
improves quality of life and keeps the Connecticut community strong. CURE is a
501(c)(3) organization.
About Comcast Business
Comcast
Business offers Ethernet, Internet, Wi-Fi, TV and Voice solutions
to help organizations of all sizes transform their business with
Gigabit speeds and the most advanced communications technologies.
Powered by a next-generation, fiber-based network covering 39
states and 20 of the nation's top 25 markets, and backed by 24/7
technical support, Comcast Business is one of the largest
contributors to the growth of Comcast Cable. Comcast Business is
the nation's largest cable provider to small and mid-size
businesses and has emerged as a force in the Ethernet market;
recognized over the last two years by leading industry associations
as its fastest growing provider and service provider of the
year.
For more information, call 866-429-3085. Follow on Twitter
@ComcastBusiness and on other social media networks
at http://business.comcast.com/social.
About Comcast Cable
Comcast Cable
is the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone
provider to residential customers under the XFINITY brand and also
provides these services to businesses under the Comcast Business
brand. Comcast has invested in technology to build an advanced
network that delivers among the fastest broadband speeds, and
brings customers personalized video, communications and home
management offerings. Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA,
CMCSK) is a global media and technology company. Visit
www.comcastcorporation.com for more
information.
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SOURCE Comcast Cable