Better Infrastructure, Better Broadband

Eastex Connects Region With Cutting-Edge Fiber Network

Photos courtesy of Eastex Story by Jen Calhoun

When Eastex leadership started laying out plans to upgrade its existing internet infrastructure across all 2,700 square miles of its coverage area, everyone involved knew it wouldn’t be easy.

It was a big change, after all. For years, the cooperative, like so many other telecoms across the country, used copper cable for its internet network. Switching to fiber optic cable would require Eastex to rebuild its networks using new materials, which would take years.

But if not Eastex, who? Since the early days of telephones, multinational for-profit companies have never maintained a good track record of providing telecom services to rural areas like those surrounding Livingston, Henderson, and Waskom.

Throughout the 1940s, when people in the rural parts of East Texas kept asking national phone companies to create the infrastructure that would give them access to a reliable telephone network, those companies refused, saying, “It’s just not feasible.”

Today, a handful of for-profit companies might provide a few services, but they rarely—if ever—invest in the solid infrastructure and people power that create a high-speed, cutting-edge network the entire area can rely on.

That’s because it’s expensive, and they can’t make a profit, says Eastex General Manager and CEO Rusty Dorman. “In some places, we might have 7 subscribers per mile,” he says. “It’s a lot different than going into a subdivision near a big city with several hundred homes. Our areas are sparsely populated, and the big companies aren’t necessarily interested in serving these areas because they won’t have enough customers to justify the expense. But this has been part of Eastex’s mission for 75 years—since we began.”

The Right Thing To Do

3/4 of a century later, technology has evolved, and the number of people using it has grown tremendously. Not only do average Americans use the internet to stream shows and play computer games, but they also need it for everything from using their mobile phones to powering their home security systems. That’s why it’s so important that Eastex made the critical decision to expand access to fiber internet service for its members.

Fiber cables, which transmit data using pulses of light, are not only faster at moving data, they’re also more reliable. That’s because they aren’t as prone to signal degradation and interference as copper wires.

In addition, fiber cables produce less lag when streaming and gaming, and they offer symmetrical speeds. That means users can upload information just as fast as they can download. Downloading refers to receiving data from the internet, like getting a picture from a friend. Uploading is about sending data, which can include participating in a videoconference.

We appreciate the support of our customers. All these years, they’ve been remarkable. They’ve stood behind us and supported us. That and the dedication of our employees and our tremendous board of directors has been pretty amazing. —Eastex GM and CEO Rusty Dorman

Close to Completion

Eastex started switching to fiber networks in a few of its territories in 2018. Not long after, the company began working on a 5-year plan to make its entire coverage area into a fiber network. The effort started in 2020 and coincided with the COVID- 19 pandemic, which threw the world—and the entire consumer supply chain—into a tailspin.

Luckily, the company had started buying materials for the fiber builds, Dorman says. “We got on top of it,” he says. “We made large orders of materials, and we got them delivered. So, when we were ready to start, we already had a lot of fiber cable, inner duct, and everything else we needed for the builds.”

By the end of 2020, about 57% of the lines in Eastex’s coverage areas were copper and only 43% were fiber, according to information provided by Wes Robinson, director of regulatory affairs for the company. By the end of 2024, those numbers had changed dramatically. At that point, only about 17% of Eastex’s infrastructure was still copper, and 83% had been converted to fiber, a huge accomplishment.

Robinson says most of Eastex’s territory should have access to fiber broadband by the end of 2025, but the fiber builds will continue through 2026. When it’s finished, everyone will be able to order fiber internet service and experience the benefits, Dorman says.

“It means a lot to provide service to customers in a rural area,” he adds. “They deserve it as much as anybody else. Keeping rural people connected is part of Eastex’s legacy, and we want to continue that.”