From left: Center Economic Development Corp. Member Terry Scull, Center Economic Development Corp. President John Snider, City of Center Mayor David Chadwick, Etex’s first customer in Center - Shelby County Today’s owner J.J. Ford, Etex Sales Rep. Brittany Murray, Etex General Manager and CEO Charlie Cano, and City of Center Manager Chad Nehring.
December 14, 2023 - Etex is proud to announce that they have installed their first Internet customer in Center!
Shelby County Today has been connected to the new state of the art fiber network and will begin benefiting from a reliable, affordable and unlimited broadband connection. Owner J.J Ford said, “We are excited to be the first Etex customer in Center. Internet connectivity has been a challenge for years with slow internet speeds and poor reliability having a negative impact on productivity. I am relieved to finally have high speed broadband at an affordable price that will help our business improve. Goodbye to the spinning wheel.”
Over the past year, Etex and the Center Economic Development Corporation have partnered to bring fiber broadband to the community. The project is estimated to invest over $6 million in fiber construction, connecting the majority of businesses and over 50% of the community in phase one. City Manager Chad Nehring says, “The goal in the partnership is to build fiber to the entire city over the next several years. After we complete the first phase, we will be able to plan out the remaining phases, with the goal of every structure in town being connected.”
Etex General Manager and CEO Charlie Cano says, “As a rural broadband provider, we are dedicated to serving East Texas with options usually only offered in urban areas. We have been a local provider in East Texas for over 70 years and are proud to invest in the communities we live in.”
To check your address for eligibility, please visit fiber.etex.net.
Etex and others were discussing disaster situations and the benefit of fiber during those times.
Once ETEX's internet was connected, SCT did a speed test with it's previous DSL Internet provider (18 mbps plan) and ETEX Internet (150 mbps plan). The results are displayed with ETEX above and other provider below. ETEX displays at Cherokee County Electric Co-Op, Bullard, TX.
