Oconee County Council approves transfer of 17 fixed‑wireless accounts from Upcountry Fiber to NetDoctors

Oconee County Council on Jan. 20 approved a request by Upcountry Fiber LLC to transfer the remaining fixed‑wireless assets and customer accounts to NetDoctors.

The council’s approval was for Upcountry’s request to transfer the assets and customers; the county’s staff said the assets in question were not purchased with grant funds and that the county’s right of first refusal does not apply to them. The transfer covers 17 remaining fixed‑wireless customers whom Upcountry was not able to migrate to fiber‑to‑the‑premises.

The action matters because the county previously entered a restated network master agreement with Upcountry that covered a mix of grant‑funded and non‑grant assets. ‘‘So they leased a bulk of assets that the county obtained through grant funds and some assets which were not obtained through grant funds,’’ Mr. Rude, county staff, said, explaining the distinction between grant‑funded and non‑grant assets. He said the fixed‑wireless assets were not obtained through grant funds and Upcountry found a buyer able to serve the remaining customers.

Council members questioned whether the remaining customers would receive comparable service if NetDoctors took over. ‘‘Do we have confidence that NetDoctors can handle this transfer? I mean, as far as the amount of folks,’’ Council member Marsh asked. Mr. Rude replied that NetDoctors ‘‘does supply similar services in a much larger scale than this in other areas in the county’’ and that the remaining customers are an isolated case outside the company’s normal territory.

Council members also discussed why some locations could not be converted to fiber. Mr. Root, county attorney, and other council members said easement and right‑of‑way constraints in some commercial corridors prevented fiber installation. ‘‘Because of some of the layout of the geography of the land … it’s impossible to get the necessary easements,’’ Mr. Root said, noting sidewalks, water and gas lines limited options.

Council member Hart moved to approve the transfer as recommended by Mr. Root; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The meeting record does not include a roll‑call tally.

Clarifying details discussed during the item included that 17 customer accounts remain on fixed wireless, those fixed‑wireless assets were not funded by the county’s grant dollars, and NetDoctors was presented as an experienced provider who already serves larger operations in other parts of the county.

The council’s approval authorizes Miss Brock, county staff, to sign the consent letter from the county allowing Upcountry Fiber LLC to complete the transfer to NetDoctors.