RE-UNITED: High-Speed Subscribers Reconnect with United After Trying the Competition

When it comes to staying connected, several United high-speed internet subscribers have learned that not all internet providers are created equal. After trying alternatives and finding they lacked, they said they chose to come back to United for reliability and a local team that stands behind its service.

Don’t just take their word for it. United has regularly earned top marks for member satisfaction—scoring in the 90s on the American Customer Satisfaction Index, the highest internet satisfaction scores in the nation—for three years running. That recognition, based entirely on subscriber feedback, reflects not only the performance of United’s fiber network, but also the care and accountability behind it.

United’s CEO Cameron Smallwood said those results show what United strives to deliver to every member—reliable broadband built on the same cooperative principles that have powered North Texas homes for decades.

“Access to fast, dependable internet has become just as essential as electricity for our members,” Smallwood said. “That’s why we’re committed to providing not only high-quality connections, but also service that’s personal, local and trustworthy. Our members know that when they call United, they’re talking to a neighbor who genuinely cares.”

Across United’s service territory, members depend on their connections in different ways, but all share the same expectation: that their internet will simply work when they need it.

In the southwest corner of Keene, Donald and Mary Ross enjoy the quiet rhythm of their senior living community, where neighbors stop to chat and family visits are frequent. Married for 33 years, the couple has called the Keene area home since the 1970s.

Now in their 90s, the couple has eight children and 12 great-grandchildren who they say keep them busy with sporting and school events. 

“It’s important to do that stuff,” Mary said. “You want them to know about you and understand who you are.”

Though Mary admits she doesn’t “mess much with computers,” she said the couple relies on a fast and reliable internet connection to stay in touch with the family on video calls with the grandkids and for catching their evening programs. They said they’ve been satisfied members of the co-op for as long as they’ve been married, but when Verizon offered an internet plan that they could bundle with their cell phone service, they decided to give it a try. 

“We have Verizon telephone,” Donald said. “We thought it would be easier to have both in one bill.”

However, the Rosses said they quickly found out that unlike United’s fiber connection, Verizon’s internet simply couldn’t keep up. Within a few days, they switched back. 

“Everything works fine now.” Donald said. “We’ve had the best service. Now we can say we’ve tried the big companies, but United’s dependable service and friendly, local support makes all the difference. The co-op’s always been good to us.”

Not far away in Burleson, when Dennys Gonzalez opens her laptop, the internet isn’t just for convenience—it’s how she earns her living. An entrepreneur for nearly a decade, Gonzalez is a REALTOR® at Texas Legacy Realty. She says the nature of her business keeps her working around the clock.

“I thought it would be nice to have just one bill,” she said. “But I didn’t even think about the fact that I already get that from United.”

A United member since 2019, Gonzalez switched to AT&T, also hoping to bundle her internet and save a few bucks in the meantime.

The switch didn’t last. 

“In my bedroom, I wouldn’t get enough service, and then all of a sudden the service went down for two days,” she said. 

For someone who works from home, even brief downtime isn’t an option. When AT&T offered to send her a troubleshooting device, Gonzalez declined. 

“I told them, I don’t have time for any of that. I’m just going to cancel and go back to United.”

Since returning, her connection has been consistent and trouble-free. She said United’s dependable, personal service fits perfectly with her work and lifestyle. 

“Everything’s great now,” she said. “It just works.”

Reliable internet isn’t just important for those who work from home. It’s equally vital for local businesses.

At Little Pirates Learning Centers in Granbury, Jason and Jennifer Lyman’s days start early and end late. The couple has lived in Granbury for more than 20 years, and what began as a necessity during the 2020 pandemic led them to open their first child care facility. Now they run three child care facilities serving more than 200 children and employing nearly 50 staff members. As an essential service for local families, their schools depend on reliable internet to keep things running smoothly.

When the Lymans opened their third and largest location about a year ago, they wanted to give United’s high-speed internet a try. They have the service at home and thought fiber’s faster performance would better meet their business’ growing needs. 

“We have a lot of cameras and gadgets—everything’s Wi-Fi,” Jason said. “The air conditioners even run on Wi-Fi, and all my staff have phones. There’s just a heavy demand on the system.

But soon after United installation was complete, Jason noticed his camera’s DVR system would sometimes fail to reconnect after overnight maintenance. Assuming the problem was with the internet service, he decided to switch to Spectrum. The move, unfortunately, only created more headaches for Jason. 

Spectrum sent technicians out to replace routers and modems multiple times and even worked on the lines outside, but nothing solved the issue, he explained.

“Spectrum’s service never worked,” he said. “I couldn’t pull up my payroll software or my child care management system.” 

Despite their money-back guarantee, Jason said Spectrum still charged them for service that never delivered. 

“It was only $120, but it was the principle,” he said. “Their customer service was terrible.”

Frustrated, the Lymans switched back to United and upgraded their camera system. Their connection issues disappeared completely and the experience left a lasting impression.

“We’ve got kids, cameras and classrooms depending on the internet,” Jason said. “It’s got to work. United makes sure it does.”

Stories like these don’t surprise Chris MacIntyre, United’s vice president of internet services, who says members’ decisions to return reflect the co-op’s long-term commitment to dependable service and personal support. The difference United’s high-speed internet provides isn’t just in speed—it’s in service and in knowing that help is never far away, he said.

“When members choose United for their internet service, they’re choosing more than just an internet provider—they’re choosing a neighbor,” MacIntyre said. “Our fiber network was built for reliability, but what really sets us apart is the people behind it. We take pride in being local, responsive and accountable to the members we serve.”