FROM DREAM TO Reality

The "What ifs" that led to the success of OEC Fiber

By OEC President David Goodspeed

Have you ever thought about how OEC was born, back in the 1930s? While I wasn’t around to hear the conversations that took place, I can imagine at least one of those rural farmers posed the question, “What if….?” What if we, too — out here in rural Cleveland County — could have lights in our barns? What if we, too, could use machinery or appliances to improve the quality of our lives? You might think the conversation would be different 85 years later when talking about access to high-speed internet. 0412301601

What if I told you, it wasn’t that different?

Seven short years ago, [CEO] Patrick Grace and I started the conversation after OEC’s members overwhelmingly (and surprisingly) said they felt forgotten about or price-gouged when it came to affordable, highspeed internet service. We immediately put our heads together and surrounded ourselves with some brilliant minds to turn this idea into a reality — much like those first rural Cleveland County farmers.

Fast forward seven years, we’ve built a solid, reliable, affordable, fiber-to-the-home system so OEC members can experience the highspeed connection they deserve. I wish I could say launching an internet company has been easy, but it has taken tough decisions, calculated risks and, yes, some luck. Some of that luck was present during our early days, when Patrick and I were learning just how much we would need to rely on each other.

Before coming to OEC, I worked in fields that focused on customer experience. In those jobs, I learned a lot about people, their tendencies, their instincts, and how to proactively predict reactions so my teams could prepare for every possible outcome. I wanted to learn how to go above and beyond in every possible way. Patrick, on the other hand, already had almost 20 years’ experience in electrical engineering and mastered the art of process and system improvement. Together, our shared backgrounds and experience lent themselves to a well-balanced approach to launching an internet company.

The Success Of OEC Fiber

All the “What ifs” Patrick and I shared in those early days led to the creation of an incredible team here at OEC. Because we’ve gathered the smartest, most creative, diverse strategists and risk-takers, we’ve been able to reach more OEC members in record time. We’ve grown faster than almost any other co-op broadband project in the nation, now serving internet services to over 40,000 subscribers. This is a huge accomplishment, considering the first subscriber came ‘online’ less than five years ago.

Why is OEC Fiber so successful? In short, we were built on the same foundational values that built OEC — affordability, reliability and service. No need to reinvent the wheel, as OEC has been demonstrating these values for over 85 years. Our mission is rooted in the belief that your choice in home or business location — whether rural or urban — should not dictate your access to essential services.

What's Next for OEC Fiber?

We join only two other co-op broadband subsidiaries in the nation that have reached the 40,000 mark and can now afford to shift our focus from lightningfast growth to improving service availability. We’re no stranger to the high expectations OEC has set with reliability and expect to provide the same quality service well into the future.

Our purpose remains the same, as we work to keep our services affordable and continue to improve availability. We are fortunate to be delivering the same speeds now as we did in the beginning for the same low costs. Our level of support has also set us apart from the beginning, and we intend to keep improving support — for both residential and business subscribers.

As we begin reaching for new milestones, I would like to personally thank those who have trusted us to provide you, your family and/or your business with a secure, safe connection to the online world. This is a service we are all proud to offer, and we'll continue to lead the way in service, support and reliability well into the future.

After all, who knows what could be born from the next “What if?”