Btel
Btel (Brazoria Telephone Company) is a family-owned incumbent local telecom carrier in Brazoria County, Texas, delivering fiber internet (up to 10 GIG), digital cable TV, and voice services to over 7,000 residential and business customers across six communities, with a planned 2026 expansion to six more.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1946
- HeadquartersBrazoria, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Btel does
Btel, legally Brazoria Telephone Company, is a privately held, family-owned incumbent local telecommunications carrier headquartered in Brazoria, Texas. Founded in 1946 by Charles and Beulah Hendrix and now led by third-generation president Charlie Greenberg (since August 2013), the company delivers digital cable TV, broadband internet, and voice services to more than 7,000 residential and business customers across six communities in Brazoria County: Brazoria, Sweeny, West Columbia, Wild Peach, Old Ocean, and Jones Creek. A planned 2026 buildout will extend service into six additional Brazosport-area communities (Lake Jackson, Clute, Richwood, Oyster Creek, Freeport, and Port Freeport).
The technical foundation is a purpose-designed Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH/FTTP) network with DSL fallback, using Calix DSL/FTTP systems, Metaswitch, Adtran TA 3000, Fujitsu FO transport, and Cisco Systems, with 95% of local and long-haul fiber assets buried underground for reliability. Residential and commercial speeds range from 100 Mbps to 10 GIG; customer premises equipment includes Calix GigaSpire routers and mesh units, GigaPoint ONTs, and Plume HomePass / CommandIQ management. Business services layer on Dedicated Internet Access and Ethernet with 99.99% availability SLAs for protected services, sub-18ms latency, and sub-12ms jitter.
BTEL monetizes through monthly recurring subscription billing across internet, TV, and voice bundles with residential contract terms of 12, 36, or 60 months (ETFs of $150-$450) and a separate 3-year Master Service Agreement for enterprise customers. It also participates in federal Lifeline and Tribal Lifeline subsidy programs and operates a business field sales motion alongside direct-to-consumer distribution through its local office, 24/7 phone support, and online self-service. The company maintains CALEA, FCC Open Internet, COPPA, GDPR, and CCPA compliance posture and pursues interconnection agreements with carriers such as Level 3 (2025) and Teleport Communications America (2021) and the TVonMySide.com independent-cable alliance.
Btel firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Btel
- Legal name
- Brazoria Telephone Company
- Website
- https://btel.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1946
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Btel (Brazoria Telephone Company) is a family-owned incumbent local telecom carrier in Brazoria County, Texas, delivering fiber internet (up to 10 GIG), digital cable TV, and voice services to over 7,000 residential and business customers across six communities, with a planned 2026 expansion to six more.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Btel industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Telecommunications Services
- NAICS
- Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (51711), Wired Telecommunications Carriers (517111)
- SIC
- Cable & Other Pay Television Services (4841), Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813), Communications Services, Nec (4899)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fiber ISPs (FTTH/FTTP Retail Providers) (HDAIADAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- IP Transit & Internet Backbone (Tier-1/2, peering, DIA) (HDAIAEAA), Neutral-Host Fiber & Shared Access Network Operators (HDAIACAJ), Cable Internet ISPs (HFC Retail Providers) (HDAIADAF), Business/Enterprise ISPs (Dedicated Internet Access) (HDAIADAB), Municipal & Community Broadband Networks (HDAIACAE)
Keywords
Where Btel is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brazoria
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Btel business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Internet Services: Monthly subscription internet services ranging from 100 MBPS to 10 GIG speeds. Billed monthly with contract terms of 12, 36, or 60 months. Early termination fees apply for early disconnection.
- Digital Cable TV: Digital cable television programming services with various channel packages and bundles available.
- Phone/Voice Services: Voice telephone services including local, long distance, and bundled packages. Also participates in Lifeline and Tribal Lifeline programs for qualified low-income customers.
- Bundled Services: Bundle packages combining internet, TV, and phone services at discounted pricing. Company promotes 'priced-right bundles' for residential customers.
- Business Services (MSA): Enterprise-grade connectivity services governed by Master Service Agreement with 3-year terms. Includes Dedicated Internet Access, Ethernet services, and custom managed services. Billed monthly with MRC (Monthly Recurring Charges) and Non-Recurring Charges.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Internet service tiers with varying contract terms |
| Subscription | Monthly | Residential and Business Internet tiers |
| Subscription | Monthly | Business Master Service Agreement terms |
| Subscription | Monthly | Lifeline Program discounts |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Btel product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Btel provides Digital Cable TV, residential and business Internet (DSL and FTTH/FTTP fiber from 100 Mbps to 10 Gbps), and Voice/Phone services to more than 7,000 customers across Brazoria County, Texas. The company delivers these services over a purpose-built fiber network with 95% of assets buried underground, supported by enterprise-grade SLAs for business customers including 99.99% availability for protected Ethernet services.
Product overview
BTEL is a local telecommunications company serving Brazoria County, Texas since 1946, providing a bundled portfolio of Digital Cable TV, Internet (broadband), and Voice (phone) services to over 7,000 residential and business customers. The core offerings include Digital Cable TV with programming packages, residential and business Internet services ranging from 100 Mbps to 10 Gbps delivered via DSL, FTTH/FTTP fiber, and other broadband technologies, and traditional voice telephone services including local, long-distance, and Select Voice options. BTEL operates its services under sub-brands including BTEL Fiber (fiber-to-the-home), BTEL Business Services (enterprise connectivity), and bundled discount packages combining TV, Internet, and phone. Supporting infrastructure includes managed customer premise equipment (GigaSpire routers, GigaPoint ONTs, Plume HomePass Wi-Fi management, and Calix CommandIQ mobile app), Dedicated Internet Access for commercial customers, TechShield protection services, and a publicly available Broadband Internet Access Disclosure document. The company serves Brazoria, Sweeny, West Columbia, Wild Peach, Old Ocean, and Jones Creek, with expansion planned for 2026 to Lake Jackson, Clute, Richwood, Oyster Creek, Freeport, and Port Freeport.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Digital Cable TV Digital cable television programming service offering a variety of channel packages for residential customers in Brazoria County, TX.
- Internet Services (Broadband) Residential and business internet service delivering speeds from 100 Mbps to 10 Gbps via DSL, FTTH/FTTP fiber, and other broadband technologies across Btel's service territory.
- Voice Services Local and long-distance telephone service with clear call quality, including Select Voice and traditional voice offerings for residential and business customers; participates in Lifeline and Tribal Lifeline programs for qualified low-income households.
- BTEL Fiber FTTH/FTTP fiber-to-the-home high-speed internet service for residential customers, enabling streaming, gaming, and browsing across multiple devices over Btel's buried fiber network.
- BTEL Business Services Enterprise-grade fiber connectivity for businesses across the Brazosport region, including Dedicated Internet Access, Ethernet services, and managed services governed by 3-year Master Service Agreements with SLAs.
- Bundled Services Discounted package combinations of Internet, Digital Cable TV, and Phone services offered together for residential and business customers.
- Dedicated Internet Access Business-grade internet service providing exclusive, dedicated bandwidth over Btel's fiber infrastructure with service-level agreements covering uptime, latency, jitter, and packet delivery, tailored to commercial and governmental customer requirements.
Quantifiable outcome
- 99.99% availability for protected Ethernet services
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Btel
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Btel technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Btel partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- TVonMySide.com AllianceminorBTEL belongs to an alliance of independent cable providers striving to retain flexibility and fair pricing in cable television programming. Alliance helps independent providers compete with larger carriers.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Btel competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Lumen Technologies: Wholesale and enterprise fiber backbone provider whose IP transit / interconnection footprint underpins carriers like BTEL. Comparable on the enterprise fiber and DIA service layer and a likely upstream transit partner for BTEL's network.
- Spectrum (Charter Communications): Large cable broadband and emerging fiber operator present across Texas; offers residential internet, video, voice, and Spectrum Business services—directly comparable product set to BTEL but with national scale and pricing leverage.
- AT&T: National incumbent wireline and fiber carrier operating AT&T Fiber across Texas, including overlapping Brazoria-area markets. Directly named by BTEL customers as a competitor and offers comparable fiber broadband, voice, and business connectivity to residential and enterprise segments.
- Comcast Xfinity: National cable and emerging fiber ISP explicitly cited in BTEL customer testimonials as the alternative being displaced. Offers cable internet, video, voice, and business services across much of Texas, including the Houston–Brazosport region.
Direct peers
- Frontier Communications: Independent regional fiber telecom with a comparable rural/suburban ILEC-style footprint, FTTH buildouts, voice + broadband + video bundles, and dedicated business services with SLAs—closely aligned business model to BTEL but at materially larger scale.
- TDS Telecom: Regional ILEC-style fiber operator serving small-town and rural America with bundled broadband, video, and voice; pursues similar family/community-brand positioning and operates FTTH in markets comparable in size and demographics to BTEL's Brazoria County footprint.
- Consolidated Communications: Independent regional fiber telecom delivering residential broadband, voice, video, and business Ethernet/DIA services to small communities—same operating playbook as BTEL but across multiple states with substantially larger headcount and customer base.
Emerging players
- Rise Broadband: Rural-focused broadband provider delivering fixed wireless and fiber internet to small communities across Texas and other states—competes for the same underserved residential and SMB customers BTEL targets, with similar go-to-market reliance on community relationships.
- Vexus Fiber: Texas-based regional fiber-to-the-home builder (now backed by Cox) actively expanding FTTH in Texas markets including the Gulf Coast region—directly comparable buildout model and target geography to BTEL's 2026 expansion plan.
- NextLink Internet: Texas-headquartered rural broadband provider leveraging fixed wireless and select fiber builds to serve underserved Texas communities; competes with BTEL in the same rural/small-town broadband segment and is also a likely BEAD program participant.
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Btel social profiles
Digital presenceBtel compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Btel financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Btel leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Btel funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Btel M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Btel
What does Btel do?
Btel provides Digital Cable TV, residential and business Internet (DSL and FTTH/FTTP fiber from 100 Mbps to 10 Gbps), and Voice/Phone services to more than 7,000 customers across Brazoria County, Texas. The company delivers these services over a purpose-built fiber network with 95% of assets buried underground, supported by enterprise-grade SLAs for business customers including 99.99% availability for protected Ethernet services.
Is Btel a public or private company?
Btel is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Btel founded?
Btel was founded in 1946. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Btel based?
Btel is headquartered in Brazoria, United States, in the North America region.
How does Btel make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Internet Services are the primary driver. The others are digital Cable TV, phone/Voice Services, bundled Services and business Services (MSA).
Who are Btel's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Lumen Technologies, Spectrum (Charter Communications), AT&T and Comcast Xfinity. Direct peers are Frontier Communications, TDS Telecom and Consolidated Communications. Emerging players are Rise Broadband, Vexus Fiber and NextLink Internet.
Does Btel have an API?
No public API is recorded for Btel.
What industry is Btel in?
Btel's product category is Telecommunications Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIADAE, Fiber ISPs (FTTH/FTTP Retail Providers), with a secondary code of HDAIAEAA, IP Transit & Internet Backbone (Tier-1/2, peering, DIA). Its NAICS code is 51711 and its SIC code is 4841.