Habersham’s Windstream broadband deal grows to $6.24 million, but rollout remains unclear

Habersham County commissioners unanimously approved a revised broadband-build agreement with Windstream Standard, LLC, on Jan. 27, 2025, updating the public-private arrangement behind a countywide expansion effort funded through Georgia State Fiscal Recovery Funds. The amendment recognizes a state award of $6,236,039—up from $5,669,126—and changes the funding arrangement to a fixed award.

For residents and businesses still seeking dependable internet access, the decision governs how millions in public money will support the planned expansion. The added award amount exceeds the earlier figure by more than $566,000, and the switch in grant structure could affect how the work proceeds and how the county and public judge whether the promised buildout is delivered.

The amendment first appeared as a proposed action on the Board of Commissioners’ Jan. 21 agenda, which scheduled consideration but did not itself authorize any change. The item returned on the Jan. 27 agenda and was approved at that meeting after a motion and second, with all five commissioners voting in favor. The Jan. 27 agenda was a repeat listing of the proposal; the meeting minutes document the actual approval.

County commissioners backed the revised agreement unanimously. The minutes describe the change as recognizing the larger state award and shifting the project from a reimbursable grant to a fixed award, a revision that removed Windstream’s match requirement. Windstream Standard is the company named in the agreement, but the records do not include a public statement from the company or identify positions from residents, customers or other stakeholders on the amended terms.

The county’s completed action is approval of the amendment and its revised $6.236 million fixed state award. What remains unestablished is equally important: the county record does not show that construction has begun, provide a build timetable, identify the areas or number of customers to be served, say when households can order service, or confirm that the full grant-funded scope will be completed as planned.

The next concrete public step would be county documentation that the amended agreement is being carried out, such as a project update, recorded construction activity or a service-expansion milestone. Until such a record appears, Habersham residents do not know which communities will benefit first, when work will occur or when expanded broadband will actually be available to buy.