From party lines and manual switchboards to modern fiber-optic technology, MT Networks is celebrating eight decades of connecting communities.
MT Networks celebrates 80 years of serving rural Kansas communities, a milestone reflecting four generations of family involvement, decades of technological advances, and a continued commitment to reliable telecommunications services. The company began in 1946 as Madison Telephone Exchange, founded by L.D. and Ella Harrington in Madison. In those early years, telephone service relied on single-wire copper lines connecting farms and homes, with calls placed through manual switchboards operated by live operators.
In the late 1970s, the Harringtons’ daughter, Sherry DeWitt, and her husband, Larry, returned to Madison to join the family business. They assumed leadership when L.D. and Ella retired in 1980, guiding the company through significant changes in telecommunications technology.
One of the company’s major milestones came in 1984 with the completion of a fully buried copper telephone network, allowing all customers to transition from multi-party telephone lines to private lines.
As technology evolved, so did the company. Madison Telephone entered the cellular business in 1992 and began offering dial-up internet service in 1995. Over the following decades, the company continued investing in infrastructure and expanding its services to meet the changing needs of its customers.
In 2012, the company completed a fully buried fiber-optic network in Madison, marking another major advancement in its history.
Expansion into Coffey County followed in 2014, when the company installed fiber from Madison to Burlington through an agreement with Coffey County. This project helped connect important community facilities, including libraries, medical facilities, and city and county offices.
Today, operating as MT Networks, the company provides telephone and highspeed internet services using a combination of fiber-optic infrastructure and wireless technology. Recent investments include expanding fiberoptic service throughout Burlington and constructing an additional facility to accommodate equipment, technicians, and continued growth.
Throughout its 80-year history, MT Networks has remained a familyowned business. Today, the company is led by CEO Diantha Stutesman, granddaughter of founders L.D. and Ella Harrington. Stutesman has been with the company for 26 years and became a third-generation owner in 2002. The fourth generation is also involved in the business, with Cade DeWitt and Stephen Stutesman serving as both employees and members of the Board of Directors.
While the technology has changed dramatically since 1946, the company’s commitment to its customers and the communities it serves has remained constant.
“Eight decades of MT Networks is about much more than telephone lines, fiber, buildings, or equipment. It is about the generations of employees, customers, families, and communities who have supported us along the way,” said D. Stutesman. “We are incredibly proud of where we came from, excited about where we are today, and looking forward to what the future holds.”
As MT Networks celebrates its 80th anniversary, the company remains focused on honoring its history while continuing to invest in the technology and infrastructure needed to serve future generations.
