Congressman Thompson Commends PUC and Comcast Partnership in Angwin

During a special presentation at Angwin’s 2011 Flea Market and Car Show on Sunday, Congressman Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena) congratulated Angwin on the expansion of broadband technology to the community, thanks to a partnership between Pacific Union College and Comcast. Last fall, the college worked with Comcast to update the campus telecommunications network with a fiber-optic infrastructure. The move increased PUC’s bandwidth by 1,000 percent and also allowed Comcast to expand its services into Angwin, where communication and entertainment services have been limited.

“This is a partnership that is going to pay dividends for the entire community,” said Thompson, listing the number of educational online programs that can benefit school-age children, businesses, and families. “The amount of information that is at our fingertips is truly awesome, and so much is available because of the expansion of broadband.”

The program also welcomed Napa County Supervisor Diane Dillon, who commended Comcast and PUC and called it a “step forward” for PUC and the community. Heather Knight, president of PUC, also spoke at the event along with Tom Bartee, district director for 7^th District Assemblyman Michael Allen; and Paul Gibson, East Bay area vice president for Comcast.

Two years ago, PUC was urgently exploring solutions for the outdated campus network as changes in technology demanded faster internet for the students and staff. After much research on the part of Maria Lopez, director of information systems and services, the college chose to work with Comcast. “We are now in an ideal position to serve PUC network users and prepared to deliver fast, advanced and scalable services well into the future,” said Lopez.