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Commission approves amended Windstream broadband build agreement
Summary
Habersham County commissioners approved an amended public-private partnership with Windstream to reflect a revised state grant structure for broadband expansion; Windstream representatives outlined past and planned fiber build miles and requested support letters for a federal BEAD application.
Habersham County commissioners on Jan. 27 approved an amended public-private partnership build agreement with Windstream to reflect a restructured state broadband grant award.
The move updates an existing agreement tied to state Broadband Recovery funds after the funding source changed the grant from a reimbursable-with-match model to a fixed award. Windstream will continue to be responsible for any non-grant match under its build plan, county staff said.
Windstream operations manager Josh Baker told commissioners the company has served the county for decades and has invested $3,250,000 alongside a prior state award of $5,670,000 for an $8,920,000 program of record. He said Windstream has completed about 146 miles of fiber with 117 miles remaining and asked the commission for a letter of support for a federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) application to extend service to roughly 1,600 currently unserved or underserved locations.
Commission discussion focused on map coverage and ensuring the county’s four municipalities were shown. County staff said the amendment being approved does not change the county’s role or require additional county matching funds; it primarily aligns the county records with the grantor’s revised terms for audit purposes and reflects a slightly increased award amount reported by staff.
The commission moved to approve the amended build agreement; the motion passed on a voice vote.
County staff said the amended agreement will be entered into the minutes to support future audit documentation and that Windstream remains responsible for performance under its build plan.
The agreement approval is procedural: it does not commit the county to providing funding beyond what already exists in the underlying partnership and grant framework. Commissioners and Windstream representatives discussed next steps including providing support letters and finalizing build maps.
Looking ahead, Windstream and county staff said they will continue permitting work with utility companies and forestry regulators before completing the remaining fiber miles.
