Cunningham Telephone &

Cunningham Telephone & Cable: a buyer's guide

Cunningham Telephone & Cable — legally and on FCC filings Cunningham Communications, also branded Cunningham Fiber and Cunningham Long Distance — is the independently owned telecommunications provider based in Glen Elder, Kansas. It is not a national cable brand and not a multi-state roll-up.

On RSINC the live stub already records roughly 18 cities across 1 state (Kansas), with technology labels that most often read as Fiber and Cable (often paired). Explore samples commonly include Belleville, Concordia, Beloit, and Jamestown — useful directory hints for north-central Kansas shoppers.

If you are shopping Glen Elder, Beloit, Concordia, Belleville, or other Mitchell / Cloud / Republic / Jewell County addresses in Cunningham’s published community list, start with whether Cunningham Fiber reaches your street on fiber versus cable plant, then compare other providers listed for your ZIP. Soft next step: ZIP check on / or call RSINC at 1-877-697-2926.

History and identity

Company history materials state that Dean and Hazel Cunningham founded Cunningham Telephone Company in 1946, running the first calls from a circuit board in the basement of their Glen Elder home to provide party-line service to the Glen Elder exchange. The company expanded to additional exchanges — historically including Glen Elder, Cawker City, Jamestown, Simpson, Randall, and Formoso — and added cable TV service in 1997. Today Cunningham Fiber publicly lists internet, telephone, and TV in communities such as Glen Elder, Cawker City, Downs, Beloit, Concordia, Belleville, Jamestown, Formoso, Randall, Jewell, Mankato, and Scandia, with third- and fourth-generation Cunningham family leadership and roughly thirty local employees. FCC registration names John Cunningham as CEO.

That family continuity matters when you compare quotes: the same office that once sold party-line service now sells fiber and cable broadband under Cunningham Communications / Cunningham Fiber branding — still a Glen Elder HQ story, not a national call center brand.

Technology mix

RSINC’s Fiber+Cable labels match Cunningham’s published dual-plant story. Ask which technology and marketed speed actually reach your drop today, whether the quote is fiber-to-the-home versus cable modem plant, what modem or optical equipment fees appear after the first invoice, and whether phone or TV Now / video is optional or bundled.

Also ask whether fixed wireless, satellite, or a neighboring cooperative/cable path (including Nex-Tech and other Kansas independents) is the better fit if your section line sits beyond Cunningham’s orderable footprint — north-central Kansas shoppers often compare multiple last-mile options across county lines.

Coverage reality check

Eighteen RSINC cities in Kansas are a richer stub footprint than many thin templates, but directory relationships still are not a pass for every rural road.

Also ask what happens after any introductory rate: equipment return policies, installation fees, data policies, and whether a fiber lateral is available without a construction wait. Emphasize the Glen Elder Cunningham Communications identity — not another Cunningham brand and not a national cable company.

What to ask before you order

Before you order or replace service in north-central Kansas, walk through:

• Is my exact address on Cunningham Fiber / Cunningham Communications plant versus another Mitchell, Cloud, Republic, or Jewell County provider?
• What download and upload speeds are marketed for my drop — fiber or cable — and what typical speeds should I expect?
• Is equipment included, and what fees apply after the first bill?
• Should I compare fixed wireless, satellite, or another wireline path instead for my section?
• Am I quoting Cunningham Communications (Glen Elder KS / FCC 825850) and not another Cunningham or Nex-Tech brand?

Cunningham’s value proposition is a local Kansas independent with published fiber and cable plants plus multi-town offices — not a national cable brand. Emphasize address-specific technology and the Cunningham-family Glen Elder identity when you compare options.

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

Rural fiber and cable 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/Cable label on RSINC.

If you are comparing Cunningham against neighboring cooperatives, cable, fixed wireless, or satellite across Mitchell, Cloud, Republic, and Jewell counties, put install timing and post-promo price next to technology. A stable local drop can matter more than a promotional wireless billboard speed that never reaches the farm driveway.

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.