Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Broadband Renewal topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Comcast seeks renewal of Mannington franchise; company flags 36 homes without internet
Summary
Comcast presented a municipal-consent renewal application to the Mannington Township Committee Oct. 6, 2025, noting the current franchise dates to 25 years ago and that "potentially 36 houses" in the township lack an internet service provider; the committee discussed public‑access channel responsibilities and next steps.
Fred DeAndrea, senior director of government and regulatory affairs for Comcast, told the Mannington Township Committee on Oct. 6 that the company has filed for renewal of its municipal-consent franchise covering the township.
DeAndrea said the current franchise was signed 25 years ago and described it as a 15‑year contract with an automatic 10‑year renewal. He said the renewal process "starts three years prior to expiration," that a Notice of Intent was filed on Oct. 17, 2022, and that Comcast submitted a formal renewal application in August 2025 containing its qualifications, network equipment details, any proposed construction, and a map showing where its network is deployed.
The presentation highlighted a local access gap: "There are potentially 36 houses in Mannington Township that do not have an ISP," DeAndrea said, noting that the deployment map included with the application is intended to show where service is and is not available.
Committee members discussed the Public, Educational and Government (PEG) access channel that was part of the prior contract. The record states "Mannington Townhall has never produced content to post on this channel." Solicitor Horner raised a legal and insurance concern, saying he was "concerned Mannington Township would be responsible for content uploaded to this public access channel and this may cause an issue with insurance coverage." Committeeman DiGregorio said he would contact Mannington Elementary School and the Salem County Vo‑Tech to see if either school might produce programming for the PEG channel. The committee also noted the PEG channel would be viewable only by Comcast subscribers.
Mayor Asay opened the public hearing on the Comcast matter and Deputy Mayor Eber seconded; the record shows no members of the public attended, and Committeeman DiGregorio closed the hearing. The committee did not take a final vote on municipal consent during the session recorded in the minutes.
Next steps recorded in the meeting: committee members said they would follow up on potential PEG producers at local schools and continue review of Comcast’s renewal materials. No formal action or ordinance adopting municipal consent is shown in the meeting record.
