TSTCI member companies are responsive to the needs of the rural communities they serve. They have personal relationships with their customers that extend beyond the provision of the telephone service. It is not unusual to see a TSTCI telephone company owner, manager or employee as one of the local leaders serving on the chamber of commerce or on the local school board.

TSTCI member companies seek to help rural communities use the telecommunications network to address local issues. For example, TSTCI member companies put fiber-optic lines into the ground with their local schools in mind. Working together with community leaders, TSTCI member companies are using these lines to bring interactive distance learning to their area schools. With distance learning, these schools will be able to overcome resource and distance barriers and fill gaps in the local curriculum. They are using the telecommunications network to bring in courses, including college level courses, that previously were not available to local students.

In communities where this has taken place, educational opportunities for local students have greatly expanded. At the same time, a stronger educational program has made these local communities more attractive to prospective companies seeking to relocate to Texas.