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STE Communications expands to Norwood

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STE Communications has announced it will be expanding its service area to include the Norwood community as part of their growth strategy to better serve the residents of south-central Missouri.

Established in 1952, STE Communications is a broadband service provider based in Steelville. Their service offerings include high-speed internet, telephone and security services to both homes and businesses. STE focuses on bridging the gap between rural communities and internet access with an emphasis on utilizing the latest technology available.

“Businesses and individuals in Missouri were hit hard during COVID. By coming together as a community and looking for new technology solutions can we ensure the stability and health of our towns,” STE Communications said in a statement. Service packages in Norwood will start at 100 Mbps minimum and include symmetrical speeds so customers will have a seamless experience whether working, streaming, gaming, or surfing the internet. STE’s all-fiber network in Norwood will ensure customers have a future-proof internet solution with Gigabit speeds that they can rely on and use to further economic and educational opportunities in the area. Speaking of the expansion, STE Communications General Manager Kevin Ancell shared, “Our goal at STE is to improve the lives of people in southern Missouri through personalized, excellent service. It’s a pleasure to welcome the Norwood community to our service area.”

STE’s Kent Sherrow, Director of Marketing, Public Affairs, Regulatory, said the process began with the Kelly Construction Company’s long working history with Steelville through the years.

Conversations were followed by research and now a firm commitment by STE Communications to expand their service into Norwood. STE will use straight fiber underground to the residence. The plan is to start this service in mid to late September and make considerable progress in the next six months. Sherrow said there will soon be a phone number to call. Potential customers can also soon visit their website, https://goste.net/.

Sherrow, who lives in a small town himself in Viburnum, said STE Communications is providing a gig of speed in that small community.

“It makes a huge difference,” he noted. STE will also be able to offer dial tone services and has the goal for broadband pricing is to be under $100.

STE was recently recognized as a “Smart Rural Community” by the Rural Broadband Association. Smart Rural Communities is a national program that promotes rural broadband and its role in supporting innovative economic development, access to education, state-of-the-art health care and other important issues for rural America.

STE Communications is located in Steelville, roughly 1.5 hours outside St. Louis. Founded in 1952 as Steelville Telephone Exchange, Inc., STE Communications provides world-class technology on a local level to more than 4,100 customers. They provide broadband services to the communities of Steelville, Viburnum, Cherryville, Davisville and Huzzah, including 100% fiber service in Steelville and Viburnum.