More than 2,400 homes and businesses in and around Bardin, Bostwick, Crescent City, Interlachen, Palatka and Pomona Park can now get Xfinity and Comcast Business service, Comcast said.
Federal infrastructure funding helped unlock the rural buildout after COVID exposed gaps that left students seeking Wi-Fi elsewhere and residents unable to work from home, county officials said.
Comcast is still building out its fiber-powered network to more than 3,500 additional Putnam County locations, with that construction expected to finish by the end of 2026.
Putnam officials and local business advisers say faster broadband could widen telehealth access, support home sales and let rural entrepreneurs sell products online and earn additional income.
The county expansion is part of Comcast's broader Florida push, with other network projects announced in Bradford, Highlands, Lake, Leon, Miami-Dade, Nassau and St. Johns counties.
Could the sudden arrival of high-speed broadband fundamentally alter the quiet, isolated culture of rural Putnam County forever?
With the late 2026 completion deadline approaching, will this new fiber network actually withstand Florida's severe hurricanes better than old satellite systems?
Federal funds built the network, but will the monthly subscription costs remain affordable for the rural residents who need it most?