Co-Ops target fiber and broadband holdings

Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative and West Carolina Telephone Cooperative have sent a letter of intent to acquire the fiber and broadband network assets of One Tone Telecom.  Last October Blue Ridge and West Carolina Telephone entered a partnership to start high-speed internet across a five-county service territory.  Soon afterward, they started negotiations with One Tone to buy its assets that now deliver broadband internet in Oconee County.  In a statement, One Tone’s Scott Loggins said, “We believe that Blue Ridge and WCFIBER can take our infrastructure and grow it exponentially in outlying communities.”  Originally, Blue Ridge indicated it would take lengthy time to get internet to Oconeeans in need, but its President/CEO Jim Lovinggood says, with One Tone’s fiber assets, that schedule will be reduced by several years.