Hilliary Communications grows across Oklahoma while keeping community at the center

For Hilliary Communications, growth has always been about more than adding customers. It is about connecting communities. 

The Oklahoma-based, family-owned telecommunications company entered a significant new chapter with its acquisition of TDS Telecom’s Oklahoma network operations, adding nearly 35,000 locations to its service footprint and expanding Hilliary’s presence across the state. 

For Co-CEOs Dustin Hilliary and Edward Hilliary Jr., the expansion represents an opportunity to bring Hilliary’s approach to telecommunications to even more communities—combining continued investment in technology and infrastructure with the local relationships that have shaped the company for generations. 

“Technology is constantly changing, and we have to continue changing with it,” Dustin Hilliary said. “That means investing in fiber, improving our networks and looking ahead to what our customers and communities are going to need next. We want rural communities to have access to the same technology and opportunities as anywhere else.”

As the company’s footprint grows, maintaining its local identity remains equally important. 

“We grew up understanding that the communities we serve are part of who we are,” Edward Hilliary Jr. said. “Being local means more than providing service in an area. It means showing up, knowing the people you serve and being willing to invest in the community beyond the services you provide.” 

 Local means being there 

For Hilliary, maintaining a local presence is an important part of growing without creating distance between the company and its customers. 

Today, Hilliary operates 10 offices across Oklahoma and Texas, giving customers the opportunity to walk into an office and speak directly with a representative who can help with their service. 

That face-to-face connection remains especially important for a company serving many rural and small-town communities. 

“We want our customers to be able to reach us,” Edward Hilliary Jr. said. “Having offices in the communities we serve means people have somewhere they can walk in, ask a question and talk to someone who understands the area. That personal connection is something we value.” 

The company’s local presence is backed by approximately 165 employees within Hilliary’s telecommunications operations. The broader Hilliary family of companies also owns radio stations and newspapers, which employ roughly 85 additional people.  

Together, those businesses support approximately 250 jobs and share a common connection to the communities they serve. 

“Our employees live in these communities, raise their families here and are involved in the same schools and organizations as our customers,” Edward Hilliary Jr. said. “When we talk about being local, that’s what we mean.” 

Investing in what comes next 

While local relationships remain an important part of Hilliary’s identity, the company continues to look ahead. 

Reliable high-speed connectivity has become essential infrastructure for communities of every size. Businesses rely on it to operate and grow. Students and schools depend on it for education. Families use it to work, learn, access services and stay connected. 

For Hilliary, continued investment in fiber is about preparing communities not only for what they need today, but for what comes next. 

“Fiber gives us the ability to build for today while preparing communities for tomorrow,” Dustin Hilliary said. “We’re always looking at what comes next and how we can continue improving the experience for our customers. That long-term investment is important to us.” 

The company believes that access to modern communications infrastructure can play an important role in creating opportunities for rural communities while allowing businesses and families to remain in the places they call home. 

“We can continue to innovate and grow without losing sight of where we came from,” Dustin Hilliary said. “There is a lot of opportunity in Oklahoma, and we want to make sure the communities we serve have the connectivity and infrastructure to be part of it.” 

More than a service area 

Hilliary’s investment in its communities extends beyond its network. 

Throughout 2026, the company distributed approximately 1,200 backpacks through back-to-school initiatives across its service area, hosted summer events for families, supported local schools and organizations, contributed to volunteer fire departments and continued investing in community programs and sponsorships. 

For Hilliary, those efforts are not separate from the company’s business; they are part of what it means to serve a community. 

“We don’t want to simply provide service in a town,” Edward Hilliary Jr. said. “We want to be part of that town. When our schools, first responders, businesses and local organizations succeed, the entire community is stronger.” 

That philosophy is reflected in a phrase that has become central to Hilliary’s identity: Because Every Community Matters. 

As Hilliary continues to grow, the company sees an opportunity to demonstrate that advanced technology and personal service do not have to be competing ideas. 

“We can build faster networks and introduce new technology without losing the personal service that got us here,” Dustin Hilliary said. “Our goal is to give customers both the technology they need and a company they can actually reach.” 

For Hilliary, the next chapter is about continuing to grow while staying connected to the people and places behind every connection. 

“Growth is exciting, but at the end of the day, we want people to know Hilliary is still their local company,” Edward Hilliary Jr. said. “That matters to us, and it always will.”