Company History

In the late 1950’s Neville Haynes had a vision of providing communications service to people who lived in the vast, isolated region of the Big Bend Area of Texas. Recognizing the advantages of mobile radio communications and captivated by its potential, he filled out a Motorola Corporation application found in a magazine and requested that a salesman call upon him.

That simple request had significant consequences, not the least of which was the appearance of Chet Pringle, the Motorola salesman. It was Chet Pringle who conceived of an eventual wire-line service, and who had the background and the foresight to apply for a Miscellaneous Common Carrier license from the FCC, the first license of its kind to be granted. Big Bend Telephone Company was born. In 1965, Southwestern Bell Telephone Company granted 2-way EAS to Big Bend Telephone Company. Ten years later, the Company filed an application with the FCC for a new 2 GHz microwave system. At that time, it was the largest 2 GHz microwave system in the United States, serving an area with a population density of less than .18 customers per sq. mile. In the eighties, the company enjoyed more growth and modernization. Several different technologies of radio equipment were used on a trial basis in an effort to replace the long loops of open wire and an upgraded version of power line carrier was installed in the Big Bend National Park. Four digital central offices were put in and the original backbone of the 2 GHz toll microwave was upgraded to 6 GHz, and the exchanges of Sanderson and Langtry were added. When Neville’s son Jeff took over the reins in 1980, Big Bend Telephone Company continued to keep in stride with the ever changing industry. In the late 1980’s, the first SR Telecom radio system was installed in Calamity Creek. Jeff also instigated the installation of IMM Radio one party upgrades in Comstock, Langtry and Sanderson. A few years later, Big Bend Telephone started the removal of 7,000 miles of open wire, the last remaining remnants of the original telegraph system technology. Jeff was responsible for installing the first fiber optic route to Presidio. This 87 mile route was the longest fiber optic route of any independent telephone company in the nation. When Justin Haynes, Jeff’s son, became CEO of Big Bend Telephone Company, his first order of business was to replace the company’s analog switching technology with a Taqua softswitch in Big Bend National Park and Sheffield. This was a huge step for the company as this “Next Generation Softswitch” replaced the digital switches and moved Big Bend Telephone towards a more advanced network. The year 2005 was another groundbreaking year for Big Bend Telephone Company. The company diversified by becoming an internet service provider, offering high speed internet to their rural customers. For many customers, it was the first time that they had the ability to connect to the World Wide Web. Big Bend Telephone now offered their customers 100% broadband coverage. Soon afterwards, the company implemented Satellite Radios. Used to replace the BETRS radio system, the satellite technology was the first deployment of its kind worldwide! This system combined voice, fax data, and internet on the same carrier class platform, and allowed Big Bend Telephone’s most rural customers to have access to high speed internet. Big Bend Telephone Company continues to grow and expand with the ever changing telecommunications industry, and is committed to providing stellar customer service and first rate technology throughout the farthest reaches of its exchanges. Excerpts of this text were taken from “History of Big Bend Telephone Company 1960-1980” by Celia Thompson.