Ohio County approves 60-month AT&T internet phone contract to replace copper landlines

The Ohio County Fiscal Court approved a move from copper landlines to an internet-based phone system and authorized a 60-month contract with AT&T on Thursday. County officials said the change was forced by AT&T’s phase-out of copper landline service; the contract was presented as a way to preserve phone and 9-1-1 functionality while producing monthly savings. A member of the communications committee told the court that “the savings is about a thousand dollars a month if you extend the contractual agreement from 36 to 60 months.” The same committee member said the 60-month term would align the contract with the end of the next magisterial and judge’s term, allowing reassessment at the end of that period. Speakers said the new system will be fiber into the building with internet-based telephony for phones and computers; officials said the vendor promised redundancy for 9-1-1 and emergency lines. The court moved to accept AT&T’s quote, authorized county IT director David (identified in the transcript as David) to sign the contract, and directed the treasurer to process payments; the motion passed by voice vote. Court members noted trade-offs: while the new system will save money, it depends on internet service and requires confidence in backup systems for emergency calls. The record includes no discussion of a specific replacement schedule for any affected county staff positions or an estimate for transition downtime.