More than 67,000 households in the area are expected to benefit from cable upgrades by internet service provider Windstream by the end of 2017. The company announced last month that it has completed the first stage of cable updgrades in north Georgia, enabling more than 6,000 households in Blairsville to have access to up to 100 megabits-per-second (Mbps) internet speeds. According to a May 30 press release, after completion of the project, Windstream, which bills itself a leading provider of advanced network communications, will have upgraded eligible customers across 13 communities in north Georgia, including Dawsonville, Blairsville, Hiawassee, Young Harris, Helen, Homer, Cornelia, Commerce, Jefferson, Clarkesville, Nicholson, Dahlonega and Cleveland, as well as Hayesville, N.C. "We are working hard to give our customers in north Georgia an enhanced internet experience," said Jarrod "J" Berkshire, president of operations for Windstream in Georgia.