Woodbury Telephone
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Telecommunications |
| Founded | 1870s |
| Founder | Charles A. Stone |
| Defunct | June 1, 2007 |
| Fate | Acquired by Southern New England Telecommunications (SNET); assets absorbed by Southern New England Telephone |
| Headquarters | Woodbury , United States |
Area served | Woodbury, Southbury, Bethlehem, portions of Roxbury and Oxford, Connecticut |
Key people | Arthur D. Warner (president at incorporation) |
| Products | Telephone services, broadband internet services (from 1990s) |
| Parent | Southern New England Telecommunications (from 1997) |
The Woodbury Telephone Company provided telecommunication services to the Connecticut communities of Woodbury, Southbury, Bethlehem, as well as portions of Roxbury and Oxford. In 1997, Southern New England Telecommunications (SNET) acquired the company. After SNET merged with SBC Communications in 1998, Woodbury Telephone—ranked as the 75th largest independent telephone provider in the United States at that time—continued to function as a distinct division within SNET. The company ceased operations on June 1, 2007, when its assets were absorbed by Southern New England Telephone.
History
Established in the 1870s by Charles A. Stone, who was inspired by the telephone's potential demonstrated at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition, Woodbury Telephone was officially incorporated in 1910 with Arthur D. Warner serving as its president. The company evolved from using manual switchboards to implementing direct dial technology in 1955. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, it significantly broadened its coverage area by adopting digital switching systems and installing fiber optic infrastructure. During the 1990s, broadband internet services were introduced to its offerings. At the time of acquisition, Woodbury Telephone managed roughly 19,000 subscriber lines.
Additional historical details
- Woodbury Telephone was unique among SBC/AT&T-owned local telephone companies in that it did not originate from the original AT&T or Alexander Graham Bell's enterprises.
- SNET acquired five other independent telephone companies within Connecticut: Lebanon (1912), East Haven (1925), Collinsville (1939), Sharon (1943), and Huntington (1948).