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South Central Communications (South Central Utah Telephone Association, Inc.) is one of the largest employers and telecommunication companies in rural Southern Utah. We offer communications products and services ranging from local and long distance telephone service to cellular communications, Internet access, cable TV and high-tech business communication solutions.
Overall company direction is provided by a 10 person board of directorselected from districts through our service area. Day-to-day management is provided by a management team of experienced and dedicated professionals.

South Central at a Glance
Number of employees 120
Number of access lines 14,600
Number of cellular subscribers 7,200
Number of Internet customers 5,300
Number of CATV customers 2,000

Company History

The Beginning
South Central Communications traces its roots back to 1908, when Forest Service crews completed the first wire line from Teasdale to Escalante, stringing the line on poles and trees. Over the next few years several individuals bought telephones and ran their own lines to the switchboard.

In 1919 Leander Shurtz borrowed one thousand dollars from the bank and, with the help of his father and three brothers, built the Escalante Telephone Company. Leander, who was blind, operated the system with marvelous efficiency for the next twenty-six years. There were no numbers - callers simply asked Leander to connect them to "Aunt Mandy" or "Don Jones."

In 1945 Leander sold the system to Randal and Gwen Lyman. Gwen handled the duties at the switchboard and Randal maintained the system, including the newly installed 65 mile line to Panguitch. Rates were one dollar and twenty-five cents a month.

A few years later, Leland Haws, a Boulder resident who was president of the Garkane Power Association, and several other influential gentlemen applied for creation of the South Central Utah Telephone Association. In granting the application, the Rural Electric Administration conditioned it upon the Escalante Telephone Company beoming part of the new cooperative.


Early Growth
In June, 1951, Mr. Haws asked Mr. Lyman if he would be interested in selling his business. In his response, Mr. Lyman stated in part, ÏWe have 110 subscribers, this includes Boulder, Utah. This business is grossing between eight and nine hundred dollars a month at the present time. If you are interested in this property, we will be glad to have you make an offer to what you think it is worth.Ó The Escalante Telephone Company, including franchises, licenses, and permits, was subsequently purchased in July of 1953 for $10,000.

In 1955 South Central began providing telephone service in Escalante, Boulder, Grass Valley, Bryce Valley, Long Valley, and the Escalante desert. The business office was established in Tropic and Bruce Burr was hired as an office worker and secretary to the Board of Directors for a monthly salary of $300. He also installed phones and maintained the system. At the end of the year there were 249 lines in service and operating revenues totaled $20,530.

In 1957 the office was moved to a rented space on Main Street in Escalante. In 1963 the construction of a new building to house the business office and Escalante exchange was approved by the Board of Directors, and in March of 1964 the facility was opened. After undergoing two substantial building additions and numerous remodels, the building still houses the business office today.

The decade of the 70Ìs witnessed a dramatic change in South Central. Aerial cable and wire lines throughout the system were replaced with buried cable and the inter-exchange plant and toll facilities were converted from open wire to microwave radio transmission.

Dramatic Growth in an Era of Deregulation
During its entire history South Central has maintained consistent growth in access lines and revenues. By the end of 1985, thirty years after its incorporation, the company was providing service to more than 2,000 customers and was generating more than $1.5 million in annual revenues. At the end of 1990, just five years later; subscribers numbered 2,673 and annual revenues were nearly $3.4 million.

In 1992 U.S.West announced that it would divest itself of some of its rural exchanges in Utah, among them Panguitch, Hatch, Loa, Bicknell, and Bryce Canyon. After lengthy negotiations with U.S. West and the Utah Public Service Commission, the final hurdles were overcome and, on December 29, 1993, South Central began providing service to those areas. South Central suddenly jumped to more than 5,500 subscribers.

In February, 1995, South Central opened a new chapter in its history with the purchase of Southwest Cablevision, an operating cable TV company providing service in Panguitch and Circleville. The purchase represented South CentralÌs first true venture into the world of deregulated telecommunications activities.

On September 13, 1996, South Central acquired the Kanab, Milford, Minersville, Enterprise, Marysvale, and Circleville exchanges from U.S. West and immediately became the largest independent telephone company in the state, serving more than 12,000 customers. During the same period South Central also bid successfully on an ÏFÌ block wireless license from the FCC. This gave South Central the authority to provide wireless PCS service along Interstate 15 north from the Arizona state line to the junction of Interstate 70. The license also includes South CentralÌs entire existing service area within the state of Utah.

In 1998, the company borrowed $8 million and began constructing wireless towers in St. George, Cedar City and along the I-15 corridor. Stores for South Central Wireless were opened in Cedar City and St. George, and officially began offering digital wireless telephone service on April 1, 1999. Within one year service was being provided to more than 3,000 customers. The wireless division of the company has consistently added new customers since then and now has almost 7,000 subscribers.

For more than 50 years, South Central has grown and prospered by serving the telecommunications needs of the residents of Southern Utah. It currently serves more than 20,000 customers and has revenues in excess of $1 million each month.