In the year and a half since installation, Cory Shaw said he can’t believe how transformative United’s high-speed internet has been to his life and career.
As an information security officer in charge of securing technology at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, he said he remembered many nights having to go into work early in the morning to complete a task when his old internet wasn’t working. When it was, he’d spend three times as long completing tasks due to slower speeds, he said.
“We went through five different providers trying to find one that would allow me steady internet access for work,” Shaw said. “For the first time since we’ve lived in our house, I have not had to worry about getting up at 3 o’clock in the morning and driving to work. I’m able to know that the co-op’s internet will be available anytime I need it.”
Shaw was not alone in his happiness with United’s high-speed internet. Members gave their experience a 90 out of a possible 100 points for the first quarter of 2024. United members also rated their electric service an 82 out of 100 points.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the score for our internet service, especially considering that portion of our business is still relatively new,” said United CEO Cameron Smallwood. “We are consistently receiving high marks regarding our members’ online experience. That’s a testament to the network design we’ve employed, the redundancies we continue to add and the care in which our employees provide exceptional service and value. And while we understand many members were irked by the usage it took to stay warm during January’s four-day cold spell, our employees continue to strive to improve our electric score by dedicating themselves to serving our members with exceptional service in everything that we do.”
Shaw’s wife, Joanna, said she was also equally impressed with her high-speed internet experience. As an associate professor in the Department of Management at Tarleton’s Dr. Sam Pack College of Business, being able to connect with students and fellow faculty members at home has become more of a necessity than a luxury, especially in the days since the COVID-19 pandemic. She works at least two days a week from the couple’s home if she’s not in the office.
“As a professor at a university, I’m never just in the office,” she said. “I work all the time. Tonight, we’re getting ready for finals, so I will be grading upstairs for many hours. I think it’s important to have quality internet consistently. Until we had fiber from the co-op, we didn’t have it. I can’t tell you how much frustration we’ve had over the years living here. And I think Cory was the one that called every month to ask, ‘When’s fiber coming.’ He’s persistent.”
Though the couple’s two teenage daughters are too young to remember internet through a dial-up modem, Joanna said they are enjoying the more entertaining aspects of high-speed internet.
“They’re streaming all the things right now,” she said. “I think our girls appreciate the fact that they don’t remember dial-up days or modem days or any of that. It blows their mind to have the ability to stream a movie while one of them is working on an assignment. I mean, we’re definitely all using it. It sure does make it nice.”