What Hilliary Communications does

Hilliary Communications is a third-generation, family-owned rural broadband provider headquartered in Medicine Park (Lawton), Oklahoma. Founded in 1958 as Medicine Park Telephone Company, the company delivers fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) broadband internet, telephone, and multi-channel television (HilliaryTV) services to residential and business customers across 22 counties in Oklahoma, Texas, and Iowa. Its footprint has expanded through eight acquisitions of independent and regional telecom assets since 2016 — most recently the announced July 2025 acquisition of TDS Telecom's Oklahoma operations (Oklahoma Communications Systems and Mid-America Telephone Company), which adds nearly 35,000 service locations and a planned $250M+ fiber upgrade investment. The company operates as Hilliary Communications, LLC, with leadership held by Edward E. Hilliary Jr. and Dustin J. Hilliary as co-CEOs and Douglas J. Hilliary as Chairman.

The company's core technology is FTTH fiber-optic infrastructure delivering gigabit-speed internet, supplemented by legacy DSL, cable modem, and fixed wireless networks retained in acquired service areas. It operates more than 10 wholly-owned subsidiary telephone companies (Oklahoma Western Telephone, Electra, Tatum, Border to Border, Prairieburg, Southwest Oklahoma Telephone, Lipan, Texhoma Fiber, Southern Plains Cable, Oklahoma Communications Systems, Mid-America Telephone) and acts as their billing agent. The company also owns Hilliary Media Group, comprising the Rural Oklahoma Network (Radio Oklahoma Ag Network, Oklahoma Farm Report, Oklahoma Energy Today, Road to Rural Prosperity podcast) and the Southwest Ledger newspaper — regional media assets that align with its rural customer base. Distribution occurs through 10 retail/regional offices across three states, a centralized call center, and the SmartHub self-service customer portal.

Hilliary's revenue model centers on recurring monthly subscriptions for residential internet, voice, and TV services, supplemented by managed commercial services (dedicated fiber, VoIP, data networking) sold to rural businesses, schools, healthcare facilities, tribal nations, and government entities. Growth is funded and accelerated through three reinforcing channels: organic fiber buildout (over $250 million in current deployment), federal and state grant capture (USDA ReConnect, ARPA SLFRF, Oklahoma Broadband Office, with BEAD positioning), and serial acquisition of legacy rural telephone companies that the company subsequently upgrades to fiber. Customer base exceeds 19,000 residential subscribers across 22 counties, with the Fort Sill military installation (1,900 homes) representing a notable government contract.

Name

Hilliary Communications

Legal name

Hilliary Communications, LLC

Website

https://hilliary.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Hilliary Communications is a third-generation, family-owned rural broadband provider delivering fiber-to-the-home internet, telephone, and television services across 22 counties in Oklahoma, Texas, and Iowa through acquired legacy telecom assets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Broadband Telecommunications

NAICS

Wired Telecommunications Carriers (517111), Wired and Wireless Telecommunications (except Satellite) (5171)

SIC

Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813)

akta.pro primary industry

Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP/FTTH) Broadband Providers (HDAIABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fiber ISPs (FTTH/FTTP Retail Providers) (HDAIADAE), Rural & Universal Service Fixed Broadband Providers (HDAIABAJ), Rural & Regional ISPs (HDAIADAI)

Keywords

• Rural broadband services
• Fiber-to-the-home internet
• Telecommunications services
• Digital cable television
• Business connectivity solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Medicine Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Residential Internet Services: Monthly subscription fees for fiber, cable modem, and DSL internet services delivered to residential customers across Oklahoma, Texas, and Iowa. Revenue is recurring, billed monthly, with tiered speed options.
2. Telephone/Voice Services: Monthly subscription fees for local and long-distance telephone service, including individual line charges, directory services, and relay services for customers with disabilities.
3. HilliaryTV (Television): Subscription fees for multi-channel video programming delivered over fiber or hybrid fiber-coax infrastructure.
4. Business Solutions: Dedicated internet, VoIP, and data networking services sold to businesses, schools, healthcare facilities, tribal nations, and other enterprise customers across the service footprint.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Hilliary Communications provides broadband internet, TV, and telephone services to residential and business customers across rural Oklahoma, Texas, and Iowa. Its core offerings include fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) internet, DSL, cable modem, and fixed wireless broadband, Hilliary TV multi-channel video service, and local and long-distance voice telephone services. The company also offers dedicated business connectivity solutions including fiber internet, VoIP, and data networking for commercial customers.

Product overview

Hilliary Communications operates a unified telecommunications portfolio centered on broadband internet delivery across rural communities. The core product offering comprises Internet (fiber-to-the-home, DSL, cable modem, fixed wireless), Hilliary TV (multichannel video), and Telephone (voice) services, unified through a single provider for residential customers. Business Solutions provides commercial-grade telecommunications including dedicated internet and VoIP services. The company also operates SmartHub, a customer-facing portal for billing and account management, and maintains a media division under the Rural Oklahoma Network brand that includes news outlets and radio networks. The product architecture is integrated at the local level, with Hilliary serving as billing agent for multiple regional telephone companies across Oklahoma, Texas, and Iowa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hilliary TV: Television services including cable TV offerings
• Rural Oklahoma Network
• SmartHub
• Southwest Ledger
• The Chronicle

Products and services

• Internet Broadband internet services including fiber-to-the-home (FTTH), fiber-to-the-premise (FTTP), DSL, fixed wireless, cable modem, and Lightning Fast Cable options for residential customers in rural Oklahoma, Texas, and Iowa. Supports streaming, video conferencing, file downloads/uploads, and multiple connected devices.
• Hilliary TV Multi-channel television/video service delivered over the company's fiber and hybrid fiber-coax infrastructure to residential customers in rural service areas.
• Telephone Local and long-distance voice telephone service, including accessibility features for customers with disabilities such as TTY/TDD services and relay services.
• Business Solutions Commercial-grade telecommunications services including dedicated internet service, VoIP advanced communications solutions, and data networking services for businesses, healthcare facilities, schools, tribal nations, and government entities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Expanded broadband access to 2,007 homes and businesses across 11 Oklahoma counties through $65.9 million ARPA-funded project
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kiowa Tribe of OklahomacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2026The Kiowa Tribe and Hilliary are partnering to host the All-Native Career Fair on June 18, 2026, in Lawton, Oklahoma, connecting Native job seekers with hiring managers across Hilliary's telecommunications, media, and other business operations. This is part of a broader long-term workforce development effort led by the Kiowa Tribe to prepare Southwest Oklahoma for major infrastructure and economic build-outs. The partnership reflects Hilliary's commitment to regional workforce investment and tribal community engagement.
• Fort Sill Military InstallationminorOthers · 4 January 2021Hilliary Communications was approved to build and operate fiber-to-the-home broadband infrastructure serving approximately 1,900 military family homes at Fort Sill near Lawton, Oklahoma. The $5 million project was completed by spring 2023.
• TDS TelecomcoreOthersHilliary Communications acquired TDS Telecom's Oklahoma network operations in July 2025, adding nearly 35,000 new locations across Oklahoma. The deal was expected to close in H2 2025 pending regulatory approvals. TDS divested to focus on its core fiber operations. Stifel served as exclusive financial advisor to TDS; Mazer Telecom Advisors acted as financial advisor to Hilliary.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• TDS Telecom: TDS Telecom is a direct peer as a rural-focused ILEC offering fiber, broadband, and voice services across smaller communities and rural America. Hilliary is actively acquiring TDS's Oklahoma operations, demonstrating direct comparability in service mix, customer type, and operating model.
• Consolidated Communications: Consolidated Communications is a direct peer offering fiber broadband, voice, and managed services to residential and business customers across primarily rural and small-town markets. Its strategy of upgrading legacy copper to fiber and serving similar customer segments closely mirrors Hilliary's approach.
• Frontier Communications: Frontier Communications is a direct peer operating as a fiber-focused ILEC delivering broadband, voice, and video to rural and suburban customers across the U.S. Its focus on FTTH expansion in markets that lack cable competition is closely aligned with Hilliary's rural fiber thesis.
• Windstream (Kinetic): Windstream's Kinetic division delivers fiber broadband and managed services to residential and business customers across rural and small-town America. Its mix of legacy copper upgrades, fiber expansion, and rural-focused government-funded projects makes it a strong direct comparable.
• Vexus Fiber: Vexus Fiber is an emerging fiber-to-the-home ISP operating across Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and other rural and mid-sized markets. Its geographic overlap with Hilliary in Texas and Oklahoma and its FTTH-only focus make it a direct competitor for greenfield rural fiber builds and grant-funded projects.
• Great Plains Communications: Great Plains Communications is a privately held rural ILEC delivering fiber, broadband, and managed services across Nebraska and neighboring Midwestern states. Its family-owned heritage, rural focus, and recent acquisition-driven expansion strategy closely mirror Hilliary's playbook.

Broad incumbents

• Sparklight (Cable One): Sparklight / Cable One is a broader incumbent serving smaller U.S. cities and rural-adjacent markets with broadband, video, and voice over hybrid fiber-coax networks. It overlaps with Hilliary in rural video and broadband delivery but operates at significantly greater scale across more states.
• altafiber (Cincinnati Bell): altafiber is a fiber-focused incumbent offering broadband, voice, and managed services with a similar strategy of upgrading legacy copper to FTTH in mid-sized markets. While primarily Ohio-based, its fiber-first operating model is closely comparable to Hilliary's rural FTTH approach.
• AT&T: AT&T is a broad incumbent with a sizable rural wireline footprint overlapping Hilliary's Texas and Oklahoma markets. While AT&T is vastly larger and operates across urban and rural segments, its fixed-line broadband and voice offerings compete directly for Hilliary's rural residential and business customers.

Emerging players

• Empire Access: Empire Access is an emerging fiber ISP delivering gigabit broadband, voice, and TV to smaller communities and rural markets across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Its rural FTTH focus and family-owned operating model make it a relevant emerging comparability peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC4IDWQfeaHSdSLuYeBHZ0pQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/HilliaryCommunicationsOklahoma
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hilliary
• Instagraminstagram.com/hilliaryok

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hilliary Communications