OUR STORY
For over 100 years,
WTC has been providing leading-edge communication services. Through advanced technology, we continue to launch higher speed broadband services so businesses can grow, schools can leverage educational opportunities, telemedicine can be offered in our rural settings and communities can enhance their economic development.
WTC strives to provide the same level of dedication and commitment to the needs of our local communities. We truly believe in being a good corporate citizen in the areas we serve, and giving back is not just a part of our mission, but also a core value of the organization.
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1959 | Purchased the Paxico exchange |
| 1961 | Converted to dial service in Wamego |
| 1964 | Acquired St. George exchange and converted to dial service |
| 1980 | Upgraded Wamego and St. George to digital switches, one-party line, call forward, call waiting, 3-way calling, and speed calling |
| 1993 |
Added advanced digital features including voicemail, caller ID, and completed the service department building at 529 location |
| 1995 | Became an Internet provider |
| 1999 | Provided IDSL service in all three exchanges |
| 2000 | Purchased Cable TV systems in Wamego and St. Marys, began providing long distance services, and became our own Internet provider (www.wamego.net) |
| 2001 | Purchased and opened office in St. Marys |
| 2002 | Buried fiber optic cable to 867 homes within Wamego, and began construction on new office building at the intersection of US Hwy 24 and K99 |
| 2003 | Moved into new office building at 1009 Lincoln in December 2003 |
| 2004 | Began offering Digital Cable TV services |
| 2005 | Began FTTH construction project |
| 2007 | Buried fiber optic cable to an additional 680 homes within Wamego |
| 2010 | Upgraded to an all-IP telephone switch |
| 2014 | Completed wireless in Alma area, Completed wireless in St. Marys area |
| 2015 | Completed FTTH in all WTC regulated exchanges |
| 2019 | Completed fiber in Maple Hill |
| 2020 | Completed fiber in Alma, Completed fiber in McFarland |
| 2021 | Completed fiber for Business Customers in Manhattan, Completed fiber in Rossville |
| 2022 | Awarded Broadband Acceleration Grant (BAG) for rural areas in Pottawatomie and Riley Counties, Awarded funding through the BAG 2 program for rural areas in Riley County, Awarded Kansas Capital Project Fund Broadband Grant for rural areas in Geary, Pottawatomie, Riley, and Shawnee Counties |
| 2023 | Celebrated 10,000 customers, Awarded funding through the BAG 3 program for rural areas in Riley County, Awarded grant funding through the Lasting Infrastructure and Network Connectivity (LINC) program for rural areas in Wabaunsee County |
| 2024 | Announced $50 million investment to bring fiber to Manhattan residents, Awarded Advancing Digital Opportunities to Promote Technology (ADOPT) to provide free public WiFi throughout Manhattan, Awarded funding through the BAG 4 Program for rural areas in Riley County, Completed fiber in Willard, Record year deploying 1.65 million feet of fiber |
| 2025 | Celebrated 15,000 customers, Record year deploying 1.7 million feet of fiber |
Our mission as a Company is to:
- Increase shareholder value;
- Provide clear direction, adequate compensation, education, and support for all our employees; and
- Be a good corporate citizen within all the communities we serve.
Our goal is to provide high quality, affordable telecommunications services with the latest technology to all our customers, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.