WINTER 2018

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 4

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Picking Your Next Phone

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Smart phone? Flip phone? Our guide will help you choose! Page 6

Your local telecommunications provider

TV On Your Side

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CELLULAR: Back. It. Up.

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redrivercomm.com

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Red River Communications WINTER 2018

FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER LOCAL BROADCASTERS ARE ONCE AGAIN ASKING FOR UNSUSTAINABLE RATE INCREASES OF NEARLY 125%

I love this time of year. For me it is truly the most wonderful time of the year.

JEFF OLSON GENERAL MANAGER/CEO

“WE ARE FIGHTING THESE EXORBITANT RATE INCREASES. HISTORY, HOWEVER, HAS SHOWN THAT WE HAVE VERY LITTLE LEVERAGE IN THE SO-CALLED NEGOTIATION PROCESS.”

REDRIVERCOMM.COM

redrivercomm.com facebook.com/redrivercomm

My spirit is somewhat dampened however because of the cycle we are in to negotiate prices for our local TV channels. All the local channels in our area have elected a process call Retransmission Consent, which means we must negotiate with them a price to carry their TV channels to you. This process happens every 3 years. The rates proposed by some of the local channels will increase this fee by over 125% over the next 3 years. These fees are passed directly to you and are shown on your bill as VIDEO LOCAL BROADCAST RETRANSMISSION FEE. It is a fee charged by the local TV stations to receive a signal that is otherwise free over-the-air. We are fighting these exorbitant rate increases. History, however, has shown that we have very little leverage in the so-called negotiation process. The TV stations control the airways and they control the message. It makes it difficult for companies like Red River Communications to tell the real story. The local stations prohibit us from telling you the high rates they charge. Additionally, they prohibit small companies from working together and sharing information to get a fair and reasonable rate for their programming. We will fiercely oppose these massive increases. Be aware that these local stations play hardball and will threaten to turn off their signals to you. In the event we are unable to reach a reasonable agreement, we could see some local channels be removed from our channel lineup until an agreement is put in place. We have a link on our web page that explains this in much more detail. Keep watching our website and our Facebook page for further updates as the negotiations continue.

MORE INFO: redrivercomm.com/tvonmyside

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TV: On Your Side

Red River Communications WINTER 2018

We are currently in discussions with local broadcasters to renew our contract for their networks, such as NBC, ABC, Fox, and CBS. Based on early discussions, some broadcasters are demanding a rate increase of more than 85% in 2018 over what our members currently pay to receive these channels.

increase is excessive based on their networks’ ratings and what the average American household budget can afford.

TV RATES

Significant network fee increases directly impact your bill and rest assured – we’re on your side to keep these fees low. We will do everything that we can to ensure that these needless rate hikes are kept in check. We do not stand for bullying tactics that hold our members hostage. We will keep you, our members, informed throughout the coming weeks. If you have any questions, please contact Dirk Monson, Member Support Manager, at 701-553-8309 or dirkmonson@redrivercomm.com

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Why won’t you just pay what they are asking? As a small, local business, we can thrive only when we deliver the best possible value for you from all of our services. We are actively working toward an agreement that does not burden our customers with excessive price increases. With the hundreds of channels we offer our customers, imagine the impact to your monthly bill if we just agreed to pay networks whatever they asked. REDRIVERCOMM.COM

How much is this increase that is in the news? Some broadcasters are demanding a rate increase of more than 85% in 2018. This

I pay a lot for my Digital TV service. Can’t you use that money to pay for this increase? Rising programming costs such as these affect ALL providers, including DIRECTV and Dish, and increase your bill every year. We absorb as much of these increases as possible, but are not able to cover all of them. We are working to keep future price increases to a minimum by negotiating hard for you with all programmers. Where can I learn more? Local providers like Red River Communications have teamed up to create TVOnMySide.com. This is a great resource for information regarding fee increases, why these fees keep going up, and what you can do to help control excess fees. When will we know how much these channels will cost? Negotiations are taking place now, with finalized rates anticipated sometime after the beginning of the new year. MORE INFO: tvonmyside.com

2017 Annual Meeting ELECTION Directors will be elected in three districts: •

District 1 – Abercrombie Exchange

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District 4 – Great Bend Exchange

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District 7 – Rollag Exchange

DIRECTOR QUALIFICATIONS •

Must be a member of the Cooperative;

•

Be a resident of the area from which he or she is elected and have resided there for more than ninety (90) days during the last twelve (12) months;

•

Not be a current or past employee of the Cooperative or in any material way financially interested in a competing business;

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Not be a convicted felon of any state or federal crime;

•

Not be closely related to any current Cooperative employee or current director

Red River Communications Winter 2018

The 66th Annual Meeting will be held March 15, 2018 at the Richland Elementary School in Abercrombie to review the 2017 financial year and hold an election of directors. There will be a meal served at 5:30pm followed by a business meeting at 7:00 pm.

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NOMINATIONS PROCESS The Bylaws were amended in 2016 to require every nominee for director gather at least 10 valid signatures from members of their district on a petition. Petition forms are available at the business office. Completed petitions are due at the Cooperative’s business office by 4:30 pm on February 13, 2018. Those petitions will be validated and nominees with valid petitions will be placed on the ballot for election at the Annual Meeting. If there is no competition for a seat then ballots will not be issued for that district and instead a voice vote will be taken at the Annual Meeting. No write-ins or nominations from the floor are accepted. Please contact our business office if you have any questions.

Tell your friends! You’ll get $25 for each new service they take!* *Contact Red River Communications for complete details.

REDRIVERCOMM.COM

Like your FiberFAST internet service? Think Red River Digital TV is the best way to catch the game?

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Red River Communications WINTER 2018

Picking Your Next CELL PHONE DIRK MONSON MEMBER SUPPORT MANAGER

Thinking about a new cell for the new year? This quick guide will help you determine whether you fancy a flip phone or a more powerful smart phone. We carry a full-line of cell phones at all price points. Stop in or call today!

REDRIVERCOMM.COM

FLIP PHONE

SMART PHONE

Makes Phone Calls

Yes

Yes

Takes Pictures

Low quality

Professional quality

Listen to Music

Yes, limited

Yes

Read eBooks

No

Yes

Use Apps

No

Yes

Social Media

No

Yes

Navigation

No

Yes

Battery Life

Days

Hours

Voice Command

Limited

Siri, Google Assistant

Screen Size

Small, low-resolution

Large, Full HD

MARDEE BESETTE MEMBER SUPPORT SPECIALIST

their app Photos (available on both Apple and Android app stores).

Accidents happen. But keeping your phone backed up can make accidents less painful. Not backing up your phone can flush away your chance of getting your data back.

HOW DO I RESTORE A BACKUP? When you get a new phone, simply log in with the same user name and password.

There are many options for backing up your phone, especially if you have a smart phone. Both Apple iOS and Google Android phones have software to help get your precious information to the cloud. The best part? This backup software is completely free and built in to newer smart phones. WHAT’S THE CLOUD? It’s a fancy word for the internet. By backing up your data to the cloud, it can be accessed by only you anywhere in the world. It means that if you drop your phone in the ocean while snorkeling in Hawaii, you can be back up and running in no time at all.

Anything that you have marked for backup including your contacts, photos and other precious information will begin downloading.

Red River Communications Winter 2018

BACK. IT. UP!

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We highly recommend you do this while connected to wifi, as this process can use a large amount of data. KEEPING TRACK OF PASSWORDS If you have trouble keeping track of your passwords, call or stop by our office to order a password book. The inside cover of the newsletter can be used for notes, too. But, remember to keep these passwords in a safe place!

HOW DOES IT WORK? Make sure your device has a Google account (Android) or an Apple ID (Apple) associated with it.

TECH TIP Backing up your phone uses data. Make sure you connect to wifi before backing up!

REDRIVERCOMM.COM

On Apple devices, you can choose what data you want to have backed up. Google takes it one step further by providing you options for free photo backup through

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Internet Speed Guide

Red River Communications WINTER 2018

We’ve put together a list of common internet activities and the minimum speeds recommended for each. Keep in mind that this is the minimum speed needed for each person or device using that service. For example, a household with two people watching two different Netflix movies at the same time would need (at least) double the speed listed.

What You’re Doing

Speed

What You’re Doing

Speed

Netflix (Standard Definition)

3 Mbps

Online Gaming

10 Mbps

Netflix (High Definition)

7 Mbps

Streaming Music

2 Mbps

Netflix (Ultra HD/4K)

20 Mbps Downloading Large Files

50 Mbps

A connection with low latency (the time it takes your computer to connect to a server) is more important than total speed for online gaming. However, faster connections generaly have lower latencies. Certain other factors can impact speed such as the quality of your wifi signal or the distance between your device and the router.

COMMON CENTS UPDATE The Common Cents Board met in December 2017. The following donations were made: Fairmount Park District $1,000.00 for building repairs CHI St Francis Foundation $1,000.00 for sensory garden Wyndmere-Barney Ambulance $1,500.00 for an AED Colfax Wold Softball $500.00 for a grill for concessions

REDRIVERCOMM.COM

One individual, medical need $500.00

Our Common Cents program has awarded

$149,208.50 to area non-profits, community organizations and several individuals since its inception in 2008.

TO APPLY FOR FUNDING Download an application at redrivercomm.com/about/common-cents or contact our business office. Submitted applications are reviewed quarterly.

BACKUP POWER NOTICE Your voice telephone service is provided using state-of-the-art fiber optics which requires backup battery power to continue functioning during a power outage. To maintain the ability to connect to 911 emergency services and to avoid a disruption of home voice service during an outage, we provide a battery for the backup power for your home voice telephone service at the time of the initial installation at no additional cost. This same battery is also provided to business customers although it generally does not provide enough power to run multiple lines or a business telephone system.

REPLACEMENT OPTIONS As previously noted, a backup battery has been provided by Red River Communications during the initial fiber installation. The backup battery is the property of Red River Communications and may need to be replaced every five to seven years or when the battery is no longer functioning. It is not possible for a customer to test the battery. We will provide and install at no cost to you a replacement backup battery, upon appointment, when it becomes known that the battery needs to be replaced. If you have any questions, please call 553-8309, 1-866553-8309 or email membersupport@redrivercomm.com.

Red River Communications Winter 2018

BACKUP POWER FOR VOICE TELEPHONE SERVICES DURING POWER OUTAGES

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WHAT YOUR BATTERY CAN (AND CAN’T) DO FOR YOU The backup battery for your telephone service provided by Red River Communications allows you to continue to use your home voice services during a power outage. Without a backup battery, or alternate backup source such as a generator, customers with fiber-based telephone service will not be able to make any calls, including emergency calls to 911. The only way to maintain the ability to use your telephone is by using some form of backup power like the battery we provide.

Backup batteries are expected to last up to 8 hours on standby power. The backup battery should give you at least 6 hours of talk time, however, other factors may affect the battery so this is not guaranteed. If you feel that is not enough time, you may extend your standby power by purchasing additional spare 8-hour batteries from our company. Extended backup batteries may be available for purchase in the future. This information is provided in compliance with FCC Order 15-98.

REDRIVERCOMM.COM

Our backup battery does not provide power to any services other than voice. Digital TV and Internet services will not function on the backup battery. Home security systems, medical monitoring devices and other equipment typically will not run on a residential voice telephone backup battery.

EXPECTED BACKUP POWER DURATION

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SHONIE ANDERSON

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ACCOUNTS PAYABLE CLERK

Shonie says her favorite part of her job is the work, the atmosphere, the people and the small home town community feel.

Red River Communications Winter 2018

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

Shonie Anderson joined Red River Communications October 2 as an Accounts Payable Clerk. She will be processing invoices and issuing payments.

She is originally from Augusta, MT and lived in Choteau, MT for the last 26 years. She previously worked at Sun River Electric Co-op in Fairfield, MT as a work order/purchasing clerk. Shonie, her fiancé Art and her dog Baboo live in Wahpeton. Shonie enjoys hiking, fly fishing, kayaking and cross country skiing. FUN FACTS •

I never joke around…LOL

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I’ve hiked to the top of the highest peak in the Bob Marshall Wilderness

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I spilled food all over Austin’s jeans & shoes the first week I was here!

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Art’s favorite: I put ketchup on my tacos!

YOUR INFORMATION: CPNI Through the normal course of business, Red River Communications collects various data on your account and its usage. This information is called Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI).

This includes making changes to your internet speed, TV package, calling features, or simply inquiring about the account’s status. The rules are in place to protect you and your data.

CPNI includes information like call history, billing data, what services you have, and usage information gathered through network management processes.

You can optionally add others as authorized individuals on your account. Doing so allows others to make changes on your account provided that they know your account security questions or CPNI password.

The FCC has developed a set of rules to ensure this information is kept safe. We have a duty and a legal responsibility to ensure that this data is protected and not released to unauthorized individuals.

1) In person at our office 2) Through SmartHub on our website at redrivercomm.com/smarthub Please call 701-553-8309 or email membersupport@redrivercomm.com for any questions you may have related to CPNI.

REDRIVERCOMM.COM

These rules also protect your account from unwanted or unauthorized changes. By default, only the person who is listed as the account holder can make changes to the account.

Updating your security questions can be done two ways:

PO Box 136 510 Broadway Abercrombie, ND 58001

WINTER 2018

NEW DIRECTORY LISTINGS

ABERCROMBIE DAKOTA VINES VINEYARD & WINERY 553-8807 GYLLAND, CARTER & PAMELA 553-8800

FAIRMOUNT SUMMIT FARMS 14

474-8450

HANKINSON GUNDERSON, KOREY & JAMIE 242-7586 HILL, WESTEN 242-0032

BARNESVILLE DESIGNS BY BECKY 354-7217 GRUNEWALD, PHIL 493-4380 KENT HANSON, DENNIS & QUIGGLE, ADAM & TINA 557-8539 DONNA 493-4345 THIERY, NANCY 557-8711 HANSON, JOSH 493-4629 LIDGERWOOD COLFAX ANDERSON, DYLAN 538-9436 ANDERSON, MICHAEL & DUERR, DENNIS 538-4128 MARISSA 372-3410 FREEMAN, ARLENE 538-7749 ANDERSON SHOP – KURT & PETERSON, DEREK & MIKE 372-3819 LAURA WILLIAMS MARGERUM, DOUG & WINJE FARM 538-4374 MEGAN 372-3645 WEHRI, SUSAN 538-4307 SCHROEDER, CARRIE J 372-3793

MOORETON CHRISTENSEN, REBECCA

274-8227

ROLLAG ERDMANN, WALKER

937-5716

WYNDMERE POPPE, LEE & STEPHANIE WOODBURY, TOM ZAKRZEWSKI, J

439-2119 439-2766 439-2356

To enroll http://www.donotcall.gov

BUSINESS HOURS

INTERNET HELP DESK

BILL PAY. YOUR WAY.

Monday-Friday 7:30am-4:30pm

Need assistance? We’re here 24/7 to help you!

Pay your bill without any added fees!

Closed Saturday and Sunday

701-553-8309

855-386-9905 redrivercomm.com

Your local telecommunications provider

redrivercomm.com