After hammering away for months, Comcast and its home town of Philadelphia have agreed to terms on a new 15-year franchise agreement that includes a bulking up of the operator’s public, educational and government commitments to the city, and expanded access to the MSO's low-cost Internet service program.

The agreement was voted out of committee Dec. 3 and is slated for a formal vote by the city council and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter next Thursday (Dec. 10).

Before the deal, Comcast has been tightening its ties with the city. Comcast, headquartered in Philadelphia, is in the process of erecting an “Innovation and Technology Center” that, at 59 stories, will be taller than the Comcast Center.

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