The man who will take internet and telephone company Leaco into the future learned by getting his hands dirty. David Jimenez, appointed to the position of chief executive officer in March, started with the company more than 20 years ago as a switch technician, charged with making sure all of the then-analog telephone connections went through smoothly. But his interest …

Hobbs, Lovington gigabit cities thanks to Leaco Just as older homes lacked enough electrical outlets as Americans became accustomed to their appliances in the mid-20th century, an internet barrier exists in many homes today, limiting the speed of various electronic devices to stream TV, play video games online and download data. A local telephone cooperative is seeking to end the days …