Last week, we learned that our friends to the south of Holland in Laketown Township are getting broadband. We previously covered their failed attempt to wire the entire Township via a millage in 2016.

The new announcement is that Comcast is committing to bring broadband to the entire Township. Many residents have no options today, and rely on expensive wireless options.

The Holland Sentinel reports that Comcast plans to build fiber to every home, and have the project mostly complete by the end of 2018. Speeds will range from 25 Mbps to 1 Gbps (1,000 Mbps). Pricing has not been announced.

While I’m hopeful that Laketown residents will finally have options, I must say I’m skeptical. Much of Laketown is rural and Comcast doesn’t have any presence there today. The timeline sounds very aggressive from what I’ve learned about the industry. Finally I worry about price. Running fiber along the road (passings) is one thing, but getting it to homes (drops) is another. Will they pass on large install costs to customers?

But let’s not be negative. Here’s what we’re hoping for today, and let’s check back at the end of the year:

• Fiber to the home
• Available to all residents
• Speeds from 25 Mbps up to 1 Gbps
• Mostly complete by end of 2018