CURE Selects Comcast Business as Founding Network Services Partner for Bioscience Incubator

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.

SOURCE Comcast Cable

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