100 Years of Keeping the San Luis Valley Connected (And Why We’re Just Getting Started)

What were you doing in 1926? If you lived in Southern Colorado, there’s a good chance you were just trying to get a reliable message to your neighbor. Fast forward a century, and the world has completely changed, but our family’s commitment to keeping this community connected hasn’t budged an inch.

This year, our sister company – and the foundation of our family business – Blanca Networks is officially celebrating 100 years in business. Because Jade and Blanca share the exact same DNA, leadership, and local mission, we wanted to take a moment to share the century-long family legacy that powers your Jade internet today.

Trailblazers Since 1926

Long before fiber-optic internet and Wi-Fi, our story started in a modest storefront inside the old Skinkle General Merchandise store in Blanca, Colorado. In November 1926, our great-grandfather, William Tessler, bought the Blanca Telephone System.

William was a visionary. 

Under his leadership, Blanca Networks became the very first privately-owned phone company west of the Mississippi to use a dial system. Back then, that was a massive, cutting-edge leap for rural communications.

That technological obsession became our family’s lifeblood. Decades later, our grandad, Al, and our dad, Alan, looked out at the rugged, wide-open terrain of Southern Colorado and saw a community that deserved the exact same tech opportunities as the big cities. They rolled up their sleeves and expanded Blanca Networks’s vital services to our most remote neighbors across Costilla and Alamosa counties.

Neighborhoods and communities like:

• Blanca
• Fort Garland
• Forbes Park
• Deer Valley Meadows
• Sangre de Cristo Ranches
• Wagon Creek
• The most remote sections of Costilla and Alamosa counties
  

Enter Jade: The Next Frontier

As the world shifted from landlines to high-speed internet, our family knew we had to adapt to keep Southern Colorado ahead of the curve. So, about 30 years ago, Jade Communications was born.

Built on Blanca Network’s 100-year foundation, Jade was created to tackle the next frontier of broadband in areas outside of Blanca Network’s defined territory. 

Eventually, as CEO and founder of Jade, our dad brought modern fiber-optic internet to the San Luis Valley—connecting our communities in ways William Tessler could have only dreamed of. Two sister companies, one family, and one unified mission.

Coming Home

Today, the responsibility of leading this legacy falls to us as fourth-generation Co-CEOs. We both left the valley to earn our master’s degrees—Josh at Yale University, Jordan at the University of Denver—and to gain real-world business experience in the city.

But the pull of home was undeniable.

We came back because we know the future of this community depends on the same local investment our father and grandfather championed.

A Milestone That Belongs To You

Recently, we had the profound honor of gathering with over 220 of our neighbors, friends, and team members to celebrate this 100th birthday. Standing in front of our community, surprising our dad with custom 100-year anniversary skis, and watching him officially pass the torch to us is a moment we will never forget.

But looking out at that room, one thing was incredibly clear: This milestone doesn’t actually belong to the Wehe family. It belongs to you. Check out the video from our 100 Years Celebration:

Your trust, loyalty, and support are what made a century of business possible. Together, we haven’t just built a network of fiber-optic cables; we’ve built deep, lasting relationships rooted right here at home.

Thank you for being part of our story. 

Here’s to the next 100 years of blazing trails together.

Josh and Jordan Wehe 

Co-CEOs
Blanca Networks & Jade Communications