Coalfields Telephone & Broadband

Coalfields Telephone Company: a buyer's guide

Coalfields Telephone Company — legally Gearheart Communications Company, Inc. doing business as Coalfields Telephone / Coalfields Telephone & Broadband — is the rural incumbent local exchange carrier serving portions of Floyd and Pike counties in eastern Kentucky. It is not a national cable brand, and it is not automatically the same product as every Gearheart-family brand you may see advertised across Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia. Public Gearheart materials identify Coalfields as the local telephone and DSL provider for parts of Pike and Floyd counties.

On RSINC the live stub already records roughly 6 cities across 1 state (Kentucky), with technology labels that most often read as Fiber. Explore samples commonly include Pikeville, Prestonsburg, Garrett, and Langley — useful directory hints, not a guarantee that every street in those towns is on Coalfields’ plant today.

If you are shopping Harold, Pikeville-edge, Prestonsburg-area, or rural Floyd/Pike addresses, start with whether Coalfields reaches your street on fiber versus remaining copper/DSL, then compare sibling Gearheart Fiber offers and other providers listed for your ZIP. Soft next step: ZIP check on / or call RSINC at 1-877-697-2926.

History and identity

Gearheart Communications traces public roots to 1953, when the Gearheart family purchased the Roberts/Olga Telephone Company — then serving about 72 customers on crank telephones. From that Harold-area base the family built a multi-company eastern Kentucky communications group. Coalfields remains the regulated ILEC story for Floyd and Pike exchanges; Kentucky Public Service Commission Case 2016-00037 authorized FTTP construction and upgrades in the Harold exchange capable of broadband speeds up to 1 Gbps, while Grethel and Wheelwright exchanges were described at the time as remaining on hybrid copper-and-fiber plant with lower broadband ceilings pending later FTTP extension.

Paul D. Gearheart appears as president/general manager in Kentucky PSC annual filings and as CEO on FCC registration. Sister brands in the wider Gearheart family — including Gearheart Fiber, Inter Mountain Cable, Mikrotec, and an ownership stake in East Kentucky Network / Appalachian Wireless — matter for shoppers because a billboard or door hanger may not name the same legal entity as the Coalfields ILEC quote. Ask which company is provisioning the drop.

Technology mix

RSINC’s Fiber-primary labels align with Coalfields’ published FTTP build in Harold and the family’s fiber expansion narrative, while company materials still describe substantial landline/DSL customers across Pike and Floyd. Ask which technology and marketed speed actually reach your drop today, how far you sit from serving equipment if copper remains in play, what equipment fees appear after the first invoice, and whether your quote is Coalfields ILEC versus Gearheart Fiber or another sibling brand.

Also ask whether fixed wireless (including Appalachian Wireless / EKN-related options), satellite, or a neighboring cable path is the better fit if your hollow sits beyond orderable Coalfields fiber.

Coverage reality check

Six RSINC cities in Kentucky are a thin stub footprint hint — Floyd and Pike hollows can look close on a map while sitting on different exchanges, different brands, or different last-mile technologies.

Also ask what happens after any introductory rate: construction waits for FTTP laterals, equipment return policies, data policies, and whether the order is inside the Harold FTTP footprint versus a still-hybrid exchange. Emphasize the Coalfields Telephone / Gearheart Communications Inc. identity — not a national brand and not automatically Gearheart Fiber CLEC service in VA/WV.

What to ask before you order

Before you order or replace service in Floyd or Pike County, walk through:

• Is my exact address on Coalfields Telephone’s ILEC plant versus Gearheart Fiber or another provider?
• What download and upload speeds are marketed for my drop — fiber FTTP, hybrid, or DSL?
• Is equipment included, and what fees apply after the first bill?
• Should I compare fixed wireless, satellite, or cable instead for my hollow?
• Am I quoting Gearheart Communications dba Coalfields (FCC 802101 / Harold KY) and not another Gearheart brand?

Coalfields’ value proposition is a local eastern Kentucky ILEC with a documented FTTP upgrade path — not a national cable brand. Emphasize address-specific technology and the Coalfields-versus-sibling distinction when you compare options.

Need a second opinion on how the Floyd/Pike mix stacks? Start at / or call RSINC at 1-877-697-2926. Public facts only; confirm current terms in writing.

Mountain fiber builds often win on local accountability when you are inside the orderable footprint — but only if your road is actually lit. Ask for the technology and pass status in writing on the serviceability quote, not just a Fiber label on RSINC.

If you are comparing Coalfields against Gearheart Fiber marketing, cable, fixed wireless, or satellite across Pike and Floyd counties, put install timing and post-promo price next to technology. A stable local drop can matter more than a promotional multi-state brand name.

How to compare and order

For help reading the local mix, call RSINC at 1-877-697-2926 or start on /.

Public facts only; pricing and packages change. Get current terms in writing before install day.