Oconee County connected 70 community anchor institutions to its network through June 2013. The Oconee Fiber Optics Creating Unified Solutions (FOCUS) project, a public-private partnership between the county, the American Red Cross, several local small businesses, and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, built a 245-mile fiber-optic network to serve rural community anchor institutions. Oconee FOCUS aimed to attract employers, promote public safety and health, and enhance educational opportunities through distance learning, virtual classes, and remote research.

Improving the quality of educational organizations in Oconee was one of the primary goals of the project. For example, South Carolina requires all students to electronically complete certain exams. However, many schools in Oconee County were unable to comply due to a lack of bandwidth. The Oconee FOCUS high-speed fiber network helped more than 20 schools to comply and provide students with the necessary level of support to successfully complete their education.