Completed Expansion Connects More than 4,000 Homes and Businesses in Rural Kansas
June 23, 2025 – The summer heat was no deterrent for people who gathered at Paola Square for the ribbon-cutting to celebrate Comcast’s successful connection of high-speed internet to more than 4,000 homes and businesses in Paola and Hillsdale, Kansas.
Paola’s Mayor, Leigh House, introduced the event, remarking that the City of Paola’s 2020/21 plan highlighted the great need for high-speed internet for their residents, and she thanked Comcast for stepping up to fill it. Rural towns in Kansas are commonly left behind, and investments like these make a big difference.
Jennifer Dameron, Director of External Affairs for the Comcast Midwest Region, spoke about how they have been working on this project since 2023 and couldn’t do it without the support of the partners in attendance, as well as community participation.
Janet McRae, Miami County’s Economic Development Director and a pivotal broadband advocate for the County, stated that this was the first large project in Miami County with 100% corporate investment and will provide quality of life options that residents didn’t have access to before. McRae said that while initiatives like these are typically not without pain, Comcast listened to the community to learn what was most important to them, which included supporting their local organizations. As part of the festivities, Comcast presented a check for $2,500 to Beth Waddle, President and CEO of My Father’s House, to support their efforts of serving the rural homeless in Kansas.
Upon cutting the ribbon to mark the completion of this initiative, Mayor House declared, “[This] is not an end, but a great beginning.”
Congratulations to the City of Paola, KS, Miami County, KS, and the Paola Chamber of Commerce, and thank you to Michelle from Cowboy Coffee Post for providing delicious refreshments.