Who We Are
1898
Rocksprings Telephone Company was founded by Mr. Street Gilmer and D. H. Comparette.
They built a long distance telephone line from Kerrville to Rocksprings in 1898, establishing the first telephone service at the local “Newton and Smart’s” Store.
Street Gilmer passes away on February 8, 1951. His son Claud Gilmer inherits the company. A lawyer by trade, Claud also served in the Texas State Legislature during the 1940s and eventually served as Speaker of the House.
1952
Company purchases Nueces Canyon Telephone Company and renames itself Rocksprings & Nueces Canyon Telephone Company.
Claud’s son, Carson Gilmer assumes the role of General Manager.
In 1955 the company receives an REA (Rural Electrification Administration) loan to rebuild the entire system of lines. Utopia Telephone Company is acquired in 1957 and the company converts to a dial-tone system in 1958.
1983
Rocksprings & Nueces Canyon Telephone Company rebrands itself as Southwest Texas Telephone Company in 1983.
In the late 80’s, the company partners with Southwestern Bell to bring cellular telephone services to the area. The company starts to offer touch-tone dialing with options for Call Forwarding, Call Waiting and Three-Way Calling.
1990
New services are continuing to be added along with Cellular service, Internet service and equal access to long distance providers. In 1993, microwave toll system starts getting upgraded with fiber optic cable. By 1993, the company was installing the fiber cable to every exchange and has over 170 miles of fiber to use today.
2000
SW Texas expands on our internet service to include DSL. In 2010 Fiber internet is available in selected areas. In 2017, the company rebrands and changes its name to Southwest Texas Communications.
2018
Southwest Texas Telephone Company changed it’s name to Southwest Texas Communications. We now service over 4,500 access lines within 3,675 square miles, with 3,716 miles of facilities and a density of 1.22 access lines per square mile. We offer a state-of-the-art telephone network featuring digital switching, fiber-optic transmission facilities, equal access to long distance providers and the latest in enhanced calling features.
The company has prospered over the last century and now serves a large part of the rural Texas hill country, including the exchanges of Barksdale, Camp Wood, D’Hanis, Rocksprings, Utopia, and Vinegarroon. The Gilmer family continues to operate the company into its second century of providing communications services.
Our new warehouse is being built now (2020) next to our office in Rocksprings. We can’t wait to get it finished.