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Our History"In the near future, in Wood and Franklin Counties, the ringing of telephones in rural homes will become a familiar sound." These were the words of Mars Chadick, manager of Peoples Telephone Cooperative, as they appeared in the Wood County Democrat on December 1, 1952. These days, the ringing of cell phones and modems connecting are a familiar sound in many Quitman area homes. From "plain old telephone service" to broadband, the Peoples' companies have grown and continued to provide the communications services that their subscribers require. The future looks as busy as the present, with new services being offered every year. Peoples Telephone CooperativeOrganized in 1952, Peoples Telephone has continued to provide dependable, high quality telephone service in Wood County. In 1953, the Golden exchange was bought from Mr. & Mrs. G. A. Mason with the first pole line being set August 13th of that same year. With the aid of government funds, made possible under the Rural Electrification Act, Peoples began with 263 members in five exchanges. By 1960, subscribership had reached 1,000 and two more exchanges had been added. By January of 1978, all 3,314 members had one-party service. In 1981, the Yantis exchange became the first "digital" office of the Cooperative, replacing the "mechanical" step-offices. This was the first in a long line of central office upgrades that strengthened Management's resolve to provide state-of-the-art telecommunications services to all members. Since 1987, Peoples has been operating as a totally digital company. Peoples Communication, Inc.In 1982, Peoples Communication (PCI) was organized to provide additional services that could not be handled through the telephone cooperative due to state and federal regulations. PCI continues to provide long distance services, as well as voice mail and internet, to all of Wood County. PCI also provides the fiber optic cable connecting Peoples Telephone's central offices. This fiber also connects subscribing schools to ET-LINC, a distance learning consortium that connects schools across East Texas. Peoples WirelessPeoples Wireless has been offering wireless service in Wood and Rains Counties since the Spring of 1992. Presently, 13 cell sites are in operation. These sites provide quality coverage in an areas plagued by lakes, trees and hills which are notorious for interrupting cellular service. New cell sites are built and old cell sites upgraded frequently to consistently provide the cellular coverage for Wood and Rains Counties. As we move ever deeper into the "communication age" of the new millennium, the Board of Directors and staff of Peoples Telephone and its' subsidiaries continue to be committed to providing all of the communications needs of our membership and surrounding areas. We have a " |
