I see that it has been stated numerous times in this report that this agreement with Comcast is not required to provide broadband services. Calvert County needs to think long and hard about the future access to the internet for ALL of its residents. For those of us who live beyond the reach of cable and do not receive adequate cell or satellite reception, this has been an ongoing frustration. The lack of decent internet connection affects our property values. No home buyer today wants a house that has poor reception and service. To me, internet service is more important than TV.

As a sole public utility, Comcast should provide their service to this community, at least to all the main State and county roads. I'm currently building a house in St. Leonard and I recently found out that Comcast does not have service on the road I live on. There are several homes on this street and I'm sure if Comcast was to service this road, they would pick up several new customers. They did say they would run the service to my house, at a cost of over $20,000. That is outrageous for a "sole" public utility. If Comcast wants to be the Sole provider of cable TV and internet service, they should provide it to all citizens of Calvert County. I understand there may be a fee to run the cable down my 300' driveway, but I can't see why I have to pay to run the cable down a main road when once that is done, anyone along the road can tap into it for service.

I live on a street in St. Leonard that Comcast also does not offer service on. We just bought this house May 2016 and were unaware that we weren't able to get Comcast cable or broadband until I called after closing. After researching the alternatives we had to go with a satellite company and our cable goes out when the wind blows and we don’t have unlimited internet. The local elementary school sent home ten different websites this past year that they wanted the kids to spend time on, on almost a daily basis and without unlimited Broadband at our house our daughter was unable to! I called the county and Comcast and their only recommendation was to go to the Library. With afterschool activities and a newborn baby that is not an option for us. I believe Comcast really should have to provide their services to ALL residents.

Comcast has indicated in the past they will run the lines down Mallard Point Road. Their current cables end less than 3 miles in either direction from Leitches Wharf Road. We have to rely on satellite for TV and either satellite or personal hot spots for broadband service which can be sketchy at times. We are less than 4 miles from Prince Frederick and are forgotten.

We live just a mile from route 4 as the crow flies and when SMECO brought underground electrical service to our neighborhood (which was then abut 30 families) we begged Comcast to honor their initial contractual pledge to provide cable service to the whole County. We did this in ample time while the ditching and directional drilling was underway and the cable merely had to be lain in the conduit. Comcast declined, repeatedly, then offered for tens of thousands of dollars to run the cable for us. We're normal familes but two of us run businesses from our addresses and we simply, NONE of us, could afford such a hit...and then pay Comcast for service. We have NO COMCAST SERVICE many years after this firm was given their contract

Ms Kaumeyer, (above) makes the point that TV is increasingly of less value than "Broadband". It does indeed represent a necessary amenity in selling a home -or buying one- and the County's lack of vision in providing access to both these services smacks of real insensitivity to our needs as taxpayers and voters. During past years several of us have approached then-sitting Commissioners pressing this issue and the response has always been: "we're working on this, just be quiet and don't mess up our negotiations." Much good either approach has done for us, and what a serious impediment this has been for those of us running a revenue generating and tax-paying business.