Etex Communications ‘command central’ dedicated

Ribbon Cutting ceremonies for Etex Communications were conducted Friday, April 2 at 102 Nacogdoches Street in Center. The former site of the Center police department will serve as “command central” for the telecommunications company where the new technology will be housed.

The Shelby County Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors and city representatives hosted the event.

Etex was established in 1952 by a group of farmers in Upshur County. It now serves parts of 13 counties providing connectivity to thousands of East Texans, hundreds of cell towers, school districts and countless counties and cities.

A partnership was formed between the Center Economic Development Corp and Etex in 2021. The multi-year project to build a new state-of-the art broadband network is underway to benefit those living and working inside the Center city limits. Project leaders say it is a step forward in bridging the digital divide bringing reliable broadband services to rural Texas.

“It is my privilege to welcome everyone here this morning as we roll out a brand-new product and a brand-new availability of broadband internet services to the citizens,” said City Manager Chad Nehring.

“I think this is one of the most outstanding things that our city has done,” added Mayor David Chadwick.

“Thanks to the Economic Development Committee, we were able to bring a different level of communication to our community. We think that this is a major step for development in our community, communications we need to draw businesses to our community. So, we salute them for their wisdom, and nerve, to be able to commit to this amount of money to develop the program here. We are very excited to have Etex in our community, your presence is already most noted,” Chadwick said.

Center Economic Development Corporation Board President, John Snider, says that by the completion of the first phase, two thirds of the city should be connected to the new broadband internet.

“Phase two is already being discussed and plans are being put into place,” said Snider. “I look forward to working with Etex to complete this first phase of the broadband project. I look forward to additional phases, some of which are already in the planning stage and moving into the future,” he said.

Lonnie Hunt, Director of Deep East Texas Council of Governments (DETCOG), says the project has been talked about for the last six years.

“You all hooked up with a winner. I met Charlie Cano (CEO of Etex Communications) a few years ago,” said Hunt. “He was one of the first we reached out to because of his reputation. The city of Center has always been a forward-looking city, and I think this is a winning combination because it is a great example of how a public-private partnership can come together and benefit the citizens,” he said.

According to Hunt, a conservative study was done that found the new broadband location can create over 10,000 new jobs in a ten-year period, putting the city of Center at the ‘forefront’ of getting broadband, putting Center ahead of other rural areas in the state.

“This will lead to more jobs, better jobs, economic development and the related benefits of that is improvement in education, healthcare and every aspect of life,” he said.

According to Etex and the Chamber of Commerce, the plan is to have the new system successfully running in early 2024.

The Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors and other representatives of the City of Center joined