Cornelia’s City Commission voted Tuesday to allow Habersham Electric Membership Corporation (HEMC) to buy the city’s internet service area. The city’s businesses and residences have been served by Appalachian Broadband Technologies, LLC., an internet service provider that has gone out of business.
City Manager Donald Anderson recommended that the city not exercise its option to buy the closed company’s assets, saying the city did not need to “get into the high speed internet business.” Cornelia’s contract with ABT to provide internet services within the city had allowed the city to buy the company’s assets, should the company go out of business.
HEMC had earlier offered to buy ABT’s customer base and assets at a cost of $2,418.84. The city commission’s vote not to buy ABT allows HEMC to make the purchase and begin providing the Cornelia area with internet service.
HEMC’s Director of Business Development David C. Foster said that HEMC looked forward to “begin managing the system” that has provided internet services to Cornelia since February 4, 2014. In addition, acquiring ABT expands HEMC’s opportunities for “installing other wireless broadcast equipment,” thereby offering HEMC a chance to “improve our power grid, provide options to public safety, and increase coverage for emergency and utility radio systems,” he said.
