After Hot Springs, Ritter Communications Plugs Into Harrison

Broadband provider Ritter Communications of Jonesboro is broadening its footprint again, introducing business services in Harrison that recently made their debut in Hot Springs.

Ritter, which signed Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort as its marquee first customer in Hot Springs just over a week ago, is now offering its XGS-PON service in Harrison.

Born in 1908 as a northeast Arkansas phone company, Ritter is promoting a 10-gigabit-per-second 100 percent fiber systems to Harrison businesses and groups, and has enlisted the Harrison school district as a customer. Ritter President Alan Morse attended a media event Thursday at the Durand Center in Harrison, promising to bring a “new meaning” to high-speed internet.

“We want to bring more to Harrison than ultra-fast service,” Morse said. “We like to get involved and invest in the communities we serve.” Those investments include a $30,000 kitchen renovation for Harrison House of Hope, and backpacks filled with school supplies for Harrison students, Morse said.

He also soaked up some local appreciation.

“Fast, reliable broadband internet is a business necessity,” Harrison Regional Chamber of Commerce President Bob Larent said in a news release, praising Ritter’s entry into the market. “This is the latest, most advanced internet solution out there. Ritter Communications has served this area well for 50 years.”

Dignitaries at Thursday’s event included Mayor Jerry Jackson and Stewart Pratt, Harrison’s school superintendent.

Ritter Communications, a family-owned business, serves 89 communities and 45,000 customers in Arkansas, southeast Missouri and west Tennessee.