It all started in a grocery store.

Arthur R. Maytum had a lot to be excited about in 1898. His grocery business was going well and as a result he was able to install Fredonia’s first telephone in his Water Street store. With this modern miracle close at hand, he could call the railroad depot for up-to-the-minute reports on his shipments. As a result, he could offer more efficient service as well as fresher produce to his customers. With this purchase he initiated something that would soon serve the community on an even broader scale – the Dunkirk & Fredonia Telephone Company. In addition, he appropriately became the area’s first telephone customer.

Arthur R. Maytum at Grocery Store (1898)

The telephone company incorporated in February of 1898 and started business that August, serving 64 customers. Arthur R. Maytum served as the fledgling company’s first Secretary and General Manager. Over the years, he would guide the company as it grew, prospered, and brought new communications services to the people of Dunkirk and Fredonia.

The Dunkirk and Fredonia Telephone Company was purchased in 1996 from the Maytum family by the Lynch Corporation. During that time they furnished the resources necessary to be able to continually offer the best and newest communications services to residential and business customers. In 1997, DFT Communications was formed to encompass all divisions of the expanding company.

Bringing it home.

In 2014, Brick Skirt Holdings, Inc., a corporation controlled by members of the Maytum family, announced that an agreement had officially been reached with LICT Corporation. As a result, the Maytum’s were able to purchase the controlling interest in DFT Communications. The deal became official on Wednesday, December 24, 2014. Finally, DFT Communications was brought back into the local ownership of the Maytum family.

DFT Communications is a family of companies linking neighbor to neighbor, friend to friend and business to business. Over the last 127 years, we’ve updated equipment, expanded services and added subscribers. DFT Communications offers Local and Long Distance Telephone Service, Business Telephone Systems, Internet Service, Wireless Communications as well Network Solutions to those in Western New York and portions of Pennsylvania.

At DFT Communications, telecommunications remains our focus but our business is your satisfaction. We realize that you have a choice when selecting a communications service provider. By striving to exceed our customer’s expectations and making recommendations instead of just “selling” services, we work hard to maintain our relationships with outstanding customer service.

DFT Communications…
Making your life easier with total communication services – all from one source.