Houston County commissioners approve bid process for phone and internet services

Houston County commissioners voted to put the county's phone and internet services out for bid/quote after brief debate over whether the services should be procured together or separately. The motion to solicit bids was made for phone and Internet services and, per the transcript, was seconded by Robert Earl; the body approved the motion by voice vote.

The discussion centered on reliability and procurement strategy. A committee member noted that the county's current provider for in-house telephones (TEC) “work during a power outage,” while internet-based phone systems would not, saying, “they do not work if there's a power outage…unless things have changed.” Another participant said MLAC representatives told the county the vendor offers battery backup, a resilience feature that would keep service online during some outages.

Commissioners asked staff to clarify whether the solicitation should seek bundled proposals for both phone and internet or separate bids for each service. One member recommended soliciting multiple competitive responses to ensure pricing transparency; another said the state contract could be used in some cases but emphasized the need to weigh equipment compatibility across offices.

The county chair directed staff to proceed with a full solicitation (quote or bid) that accommodates the commissioners' concerns and to report back with additional provider information, contract-term details and any potential cost-savings from shared or state contracts.

The action does not specify an award or vendor. Next steps noted in the meeting were follow-up with providers about backup power arrangements and confirmation of the existing contract expiration timeline.