Burke County commissioners were told during a budget work session that a county-owned broadband fiber ring on the east side should be partially operational by October, with remaining sections linked by December, and that the county must plan to add staff and budget resources to operate the system in coming years. Staff described a multi‑phase rollout and said the county will take a 10 percent share of retail revenue from the contractor that will sell service to customers.

County staff described why the issue matters: the county owns the fiber but contracted with Planters (the retail subcontractor) to deliver service to residents and businesses. That firm will “start marketing it,” and the county’s 10 percent share can be used to pay a small operations team, staff said. The county also applied to the state for a federal broadband grant the presenter described as “about $9,000,000” that, if awarded, would fund roughly 400 additional miles of broadband extensions and be matched with local SPLOST funds.

Staff said the project is being built in phases. The first phase is a two‑way ring on the east side the contractor can light up early; that work is “hopefully” finished in October, the presenter said, allowing Planters to begin offering service on part of the network. A second section that requires two‑way connectivity to avoid single‑point outages should follow by December. The county expects Planters to market retail service and to operate over county‑owned lines in year one or two, and discussed a multiyear plan in which the county could take over operations later. “We own the lines that they will operate through. They will start marketing it,” a county staff member said.

Commissioners raised questions about pricing and customer connection cost. Staff said initial retail pricing was discussed around $100 per month and that connection costs to individual homes vary; one resident reported a past connection cost of about $3,000 at his property, and staff agreed to obtain firm connection‑cost estimates from the contractor. On longer timelines, staff told commissioners Planters has indicated a willingness to hand operations to the county after several years, and that the county will likely need a small utility‑style staff within about a year to five years depending on how quickly operations are transferred.

The board also heard that the county and its subcontractor will seek state-administered federal broadband funds (referred to in the meeting as the BEAD/BEAT‑type program) and that the county would match an award with SPLOST funds. Staff said if the county receives the state award it would substantially expand reach; if a rival bidder such as Comcast receives funds, the county would still be able to use its SPLOST money but would reach fewer households than planned.

Commissioners did not take a final vote on staffing or on the grant application during the session. Staff was directed to return with details on household connection costs, firm timelines for sections of the ring, and a staffing plan and cost estimate so the board can decide whether to include a broadband operations position in the next year’s budget.