BTC Increases Internet Speeds
By BLAKE AUSTYN
Contributing Writer
IMPROVING OPTIONS: BTC Broadband is celebrating 100 years of service. The company recently announced the addition of a new Internet speed of 300 Mb. From left, Scott Lowry, BTC executive vice president/COO; owners Mary Lee Prout, Bert Morgan and Dianne Daily; Bob Rozell, CEO; and Scott Floyd, president.
Courtesy BTC
Broadband, a full-service telecommunications company offering voice, data and video services, is celebrating 100 years of service.
In conjunction with this milestone, announced the addition of a new, ultra-fast Internet speed, 300 Mb (megabits). “The 300,” as the company calls it, is for fiber-to-home customers only and offers unlimited bandwidth.
“The only way to be successful is to embrace change and prepare as much as you can,” says Broadband President Scott Floyd.
That’s exactly what the company has done.
has been investing in infrastructure and building fiber paths for the past nine years. It supplies fiber optics to 43 Bixby and South Tulsa neighborhoods to include almost 4,500 homes.
Fiber optic lines are strands of pure glass as thin as a human hair, which carry digital information clearly, safely and economically over long distances. This means that customers receive a faster and more secure phone and Internet connection.
“Consumer usage trends are growing exponentially and people are using more Internet-connected devices than ever before,” Floyd says. “So, we decided to add this tier to satisfy customers’ increasing need to quickly stream, download and connect multiple devices simultaneously.”
In contrast, the more commonly known connection uses the existing copper wire of the phone line to deliver high speed Internet access. This type of connection tends to be notably less expensive than cable; however, the further a home or business is from the main line, the weaker the signal and the slower the connection.
Internet can also be provided through cable, which utilizes the coaxial cable that connects to the television set. Cable connections are often shared among neighbors, making it a slightly less secure option.
“Fiber is the very best option. It has virtually unlimited capacity and makes it possible for us to offer a better high speed Internet service at a more competitive price than our competition,” says Floyd.
is the first company in Oklahoma with the ability to offer residential customers with commercially-available Internet speeds of up to 300 megabits, three times faster than Cox’s top residential speed.
The company has also expanded its fiber network to Bartlesville and Okmulgee.
Since the company’s beginnings in 1914, has clearly made a number of strides.
“To sustain and grow as we have over the years, we have had to adapt to industry changes and diverse customer requirements,” says Laurie Hendrickson, marketing manager. “We stay committed to finding innovative technology to make life easy on our customers.”
In 1914, Lee Newlin and Henry Sample bought the telephone company, naming it The Bixby Telephone Company. In 1966, the company extended its local free toll service area to businesses and residents north of the Arkansas River, known today as North Bixby. This meant that phone calls made between Tulsa and Bixby were no longer considered long distance, which created new opportunities for Bixby companies to conduct and grow their businesses.
In 1993, Bixby Telephone became an Internet Service Provider and was able to offer customers high-speed Internet service, in addition to local and long distance telephone service. Behind the scenes, they were busy installing a new fiber optic system that relocated traditional above-ground telephone lines safely underground.
Bixby Telephone had officially moved beyond a traditional telephone company; they became a rightful broadband company, able to transmit high-speed data, voice and video simultaneously. In 2006, the decision was made to rename Bixby Telephone to Broadband, solidifying its place in the industry as a full-service telecommunications provider.
Updated 03-24-2014
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