Comcast's (News - Alert) agreement with the Colorado Department of Transportation to lease single-mode fiber optic strands along the 1-70 Corridor has enabled it to roll out new services for its mountain subscribers.

With the launch of its signature ON (News - Alert) DEMAND service, Comcast has re-defined how viewers can watch their favorite TV shows. As the country’s leading video and broadband communications provider, Comcast will now allow its Digital Cable customers more viewing options.

Customers in Vail, Avon, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Dillon, Frisco, Keystone and Silverthorne will be well positioned to choose from more 20,000 choices of programming options from leading networks whenever they want.

“Comcast is committed to bringing our customers more ways to enjoy TV on their terms - what they want to watch when they want to watch it,” said Mike Trueblood, Area Vice President for the mountain communities, in a press release.

Trueblood, commenting on the advantages of ON DEMAND said that it gave viewers greater viewing options that ranged from the hottest movies and music to informative and instructional programming and from the latest news and sports to classic entertainment for the whole family. It was, he said, a whole new way to watch TV for customers' favorite shows would follow their schedules.

ON DEMAND offers Comcast Digital Cable customers more control than ever before, with the ability to choose from movies, music, sports, news, instructional and entertainment programming and more. In addition, viewers can rewind, fast forward and pause programs, and can store most selections for up to 24-48 hours from the time of ordering, so they can watch shows whenever and however often they like.

While the ON DEMAND programming would include shows from popular networks at no additional cost, customers were free to order hit films from a library of free movie library titles with the help of an interactive on-screen guide. Recorded content would automatically be organized in folders in case

 a DVR set-top box was used.

Comcast digital customers will also have access to Xfinity TV online. This gives the customers more than 1,50,000 video choices with new viewing and managing options on TV, online, ON DEMAND and on mobile devices at no additional cost.

By the end of April 2011, Comcast digital customers will receive enhanced picture and sound quality as mountain subscribers are move to an all-digital simulcast lineup.

In a related news release, Steve Bellamy, Chairman and CEO of The Ski Channel television network , announced that the company had entered into a long-term distribution agreement with Comcast that will provide the channel’s original programming, Warren Miller movies, Greg Stump films, destination travel, instructional videos and events to Comcast On Demand customers.