There’s no danger of forgetting for Howard and the Oconee team. On the cusp of delivering Conexon Connect’s world-class fiber-to-the-home internet to initial EMC members, they are already seeing the community benefits of broadband, while at the same time witnessing the effects of the internet drought still prevalent in parts of their Georgia area.
For Oconee’s rural communities – like many across the nation and in Georgia – the COVID-19 pandemic shed a light on the deep digital divide that exists in unserved and underserved areas.
“Some of our members had to drive for an hour, both ways, to work because they had no internet access at home,” Howard said. “Our members couldn’t work from home or complete schoolwork. The lack of service really put our communities behind.”
Howard and the leadership team knew that action needed to be taken and began taking steps to learn more about the options available to them. They met with a few consultants that were involved in broadband expansion; however, the business models presented wouldn’t guarantee service to 100 percent of the Oconee EMC member base.
“We began to hear the success stories coming from other Georgia cooperatives. The Conexon Connect model seemed like a good match to our Cooperative Principle, ‘Care for Community. We wanted to serve our entire membership with internet service. Conexon is committed to that same goal.”
Additionally, the Board of Directors was reasonably concerned about cost as well as the project taking away from the core service capabilities of the cooperative.
“We are a small EMC and didn’t believe we had enough employees to manage a project of this scale,” Howard explained.
Around the same time, the Oconee team learned of a growing consortium among neighboring Georgia EMCs that were working with Conexon to launch fiber internet service in their own territories. There was a growing excitement among community leaders, and questions started rolling in.
“Our members and county commissioners saw that other Georgia EMCs were beginning to build fiber networks for their members. They began to ask us about doing the same,” Howard said.
That catalyst started meaningful conversations with Conexon, the only company committed to serving all of Oconee members.
“We began to hear the success stories coming from other Georgia cooperatives. The Conexon Connect model seemed like a good match to our Cooperative Principle, ‘Care for Community,’ Howard recalled. “We wanted to serve our entire membership with internet service. Conexon is committed to that same goal.”
Construction on the Connect, powered by Oconee EMC, network began in Wilkinson County earlier this year, with a projected completion date of late 2025. Wilkinson County has 2,280 Oconee EMC members, with more than 1,000 currently unserved by any internet provider. In addition, because of the network’ s path, over 6,000 locations in adjacent counties will also have access.
Oconee is taking a slightly different approach to its network build-out – building and evaluating one county in the service area at a time, learning and making adjustments as the project proceeds. As customer take rates meet targets, the EMC and Connect will begin construction in the next county.
Like all major projects, Howard said, it felt like this one took a while to begin, but construction has accelerated quickly. Make-ready is well underway and she anticipates the first fiber to be pulled later this month. Remote locations and swampy terrain are tough geographic challenges to overcome, but Oconee has found an experienced partner in Conexon.
“We needed Conexon’s expertise to bring this project to life,” Howard said. “Everyone we’ve worked with on the team has been so knowledgeable and kind, willing to share their expertise, and enthusiastic about moving forward. It reinforces that we made the right decision in partnering with Conexon.”
In addition to planning, network design, project management, and marketing, the Conexon team has been instrumental in helping the cooperative secure grant funding. To date, Oconee was awarded $2.5 million in Capital Projects funds to ensure the network reaches the 1,038 Wilkinson County residents who are currently unserved.
Howard is already seeing evidence of the long-lasting impact on population growth and the economy that broadband expansion brings.
“There has been an uptick in housing construction in the communities we serve,” she said. “The promise of reliable and fast internet service is essential in attracting new homebuyers and businesses.”
The project has also helped in strengthening relationships with county officials who have their fingers on the pulse of community needs.
“Stay in contact with your county commissioners and chambers of commerce,” Howard advises others planning to build. “They will be your community partners in spreading the word, making connections, and identifying what the needs in the community are.”
