History
Serving rural communities for over 70 years.


It all started in 1949
In 1949, a group of local Wilkes County citizens petitioned Central Telephone Company for phone service. In 1951, Wilkes Telephone Membership Corporation was first introduced to the world. This small group of individuals had no idea what would become of their efforts or the lasting impression they would have, and continue to have, on the communities we serve today.
In recent years, we have re-branded as Wilkes Communications, a broadband company. RiverStreet Networks, a subsidiary of Wilkes Communications, caters to our customers outside of Wilkes County service area, and the RiverStreet Productions is our full-service video production studio. As a family of businesses, the services we provide have grown and changed for the better, but the way we do business has not changed. We are owned by our members and are dedicated to providing the best services possible.
Our Story
First phone call made
Fiber build started
Internet Service Launched
High speed internet services launched
Started scholarship program
1400 River St headquarters opened
TV services launched
Security services launched
Growth & certifications
✔ Earned National Gig Certification from NTCA
Wilkes & RiverStreet
✔ RiverStreet Networks established
✔ Wilkes County fiber build completed
Productions established & new acquisitions
✔ Acquisition of:
- Barnardsville Telephone Company
- Saluda Mountain Telephone
- Service Telephone
Fiber build started
Office opened
✔ Merged with Tri-County Broadband
✔ Acquisition of:
- Ellerbe Telephone
- Peoples Mutual Telephone Company
- Gamewood Technology
- Red’s Cable
Acquisitions & awards
- Mountain Broadband
- North Carolina Wireless
- SkyTek Communications
✔ NC Electric Membership Coop
Fiber build started
Acquisitions & construction
- Stokes Wi-Fi, LLC
- SCS Broadband
- Electronics Service Company
✔ King & Queen County, VA fiber construction starts