Broadband internet installation continues to progress in Oglethorpe County. A representative with Spectrum confirmed last week the internet service provider is on the ground in the county.
The update comes just a week after residents living near Wolfskin Road and Lake Oglethorpe Drive had questions regarding an above-ground and underground cable being run in their neighborhood.
“We first saw some guys running wires on top of the poles that run above the road,” said Debbie Hardegree, who lives near Wolfskin Road. “When we asked them about running the wires up there, I believe they told us it was for Spectrum. Shortly after that they came out and started digging, and they had big rolls of that orange pipe that holds your fiber optic cable.”
Hardegree said within the last two weeks, the workers have also started digging trenches down Deerfield Street.
“Everybody's curious about what it's going to be and whether it's going to be an improvement,” she said.
A Spectrum representative said the company is doing work in the county, and specifically in the area near Wolfskin Road. However, Spectrum won’t install broadband cables until early to mid-2024.
“It’s a lengthy process that requires a lot of different steps,” the representative said. “We are doing physical work right now, but from start to finish, they won't be getting the service until the first or second quarter of next year.”
Spectrum, in partnership with the county, received $7.9 million in funds from Georgia’s Capital Projects Fund Grant Program in January to provide broadband internet to 2,972 locations in Oglethorpe County, 13% of which is without broadband. Under the terms of the grant, Spectrum must complete the project by Dec. 31, 2026.
According to the Spectrum representative, some residents can expect the service in January or February, while others can expect access later in the year.
This is partly due to the unpredictable variables that go into installation, including the pulling of permits.
Although the representative couldn’t give a date for when residents will have broadband access, they said the installation will significantly improve the speed and quality of internet in the county.