Red River CONNECT - 2023 Spring/Summer Newsletter

RED RIVER COMMUNICATIONS

Fiber is the foundation of a strong community PAGE 3

Welcome to Red River Communications!

Recap of the Red River 71st Annual Meeting

PAGES 4 - 6

First quarter award recipients announced

PAGE 7

Arlo cameras now available from Red River

PAGES 8-9

A LETTER FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER

I hope this newsletter finds you and your families in good health and high spirits.

In today’s fast-paced world, reliable internet connectivity has become an essential utility, enabling education, healthcare, work from home and countless other aspects of our daily lives. Recognizing this, Red River Communications has worked tirelessly to bring high-speed fiber internet to our neighbors adjacent to our cooperative region.

The challenges of connecting rural areas are not to be underestimated, but I am delighted to share that we have made significant strides recently. Thanks to both federal and state grant opportunities, we have accelerated our fiber expansion projects, reaching more homes and businesses than ever. These grants have been instrumental in overcoming financial barriers and allowing us to extend our network into

underserved areas.

Fiber internet offers unparalleled speed, reliability, and bandwidth, making it the most future-proof solution. It provides opportunities for remote work, online learning, telehealth services, and access to various digital resources. Investing in fiber infrastructure ensures that our communities are not left behind in the digital age.

We are committed to keeping you informed as we expand our fiber network. And for those still waiting for a fiber connection, we appreciate your ongoing support and patience as the Red River team works tirelessly to build a digitally inclusive rural community.

Thank you for your trust in Red River Communications. We are proud to serve you and remain dedicated to bridging the digital divide in our rural communities.

- Tom Steinolfson, CEO/GM

TOM STEINOLFSON CEO/ GENERAL

NEW SERVICE: ARLO SECURE

NOTE FROM CEO

“Fiber internet offers unparalleled speed, reliability, and bandwidth, making it the most futureproof solution.”

MANAGER

UPSTREAM @ RED RIVER COMPANY NEWS WELCOME TO RED RIVER!

Red River Communications is excited to welcome a new Outside Plant

Technician.

Martin Castro joined Red River in February this year as a new Outside Plant Technician.

Martin Castro has over 20 years experience in the telecommunications industry, having worked with both CenturyLink (Lumen) and Midco. Martin recently moved here from Arizona and most recently worked for Midco in the Fargo, ND area.

Welcome to the team, Martin! You are a fantastic addition to Red River Communications!

NEW CHANNEL LINEUP

You may have noticed some changes to your TV channel lineup. We have grouped like channels together to make channels easier to find. All your favorite channels are still included but, in some cases, have moved to different channel numbers.

Check it out at: redrivercomm.com/digital-tv/ channel-lineup-new

2023 FIBER BUILD PROJECTS

Flowers are not the only thing growing this spring. Red River is excited to expand its fiber network in several new communities, providing access to high-speed, reliable internet services to businesses and residents.

South Breckenridge, MN Summer 2023

Rural Central Wilkin County, MN Fall 2023

South Wahpeton, ND Late Summer- Fall 2023

Schmidt’s Addition - Wahpeton, ND Fall 2023

Pleasant Plains Acres - Wahpeton, ND Fall 2023

If you are a current Ag Wireless Customer and have not submitted your fiber upgrade paperwork, please give us a call or visit the website below for more information.

Sign up for services & get project updates at: redrivercomm.com/fiber-build

NEW WAHPETON OFFICE LOCATION

We are moving! Starting June 1st, 2023, the Red River Communications Wahpeton office will be located at 7925 180TH AVE SE, WAHPETON, ND (Beyer Insurance Building)

Martin Castro OSP Technician

RED RIVER RURAL TELEPHONE ASSOCIATION

President’s Report

I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to all those who attended the 71st Annual Meeting of the Red River Rural Telephone Association on March 23, 2023.

and performing well. I and my fellow directors, feel pride in our cooperative’s hard work. It is this smart planning which allows us to issue robust capital credit checks these last few years.

At the state and national levels, our directors have been busy attending meetings that are shaping the broadband industry landscape.

HARLAN DEIKE BOARD PRESIDENT

The evening was truly wonderful, filled with engaging conversations, a delicious meal from The Black Pelican (and let’s not forget the mouth-watering cake), and a celebration of our cooperative’s achievements.

I am pleased to report that our cooperative is thriving

Our cooperative is an excellent place to work, offering exceptional benefits and retirement options. If you or your loved ones are interested in the technology industry, I encourage you to reach out to us about future training and employment opportunities.

Thank you for allowing me to help lead your cooperative this past year,

Harlan Deike RRRTA President & District 4 Director

2022 FINANCIAL REPORTS

BALANCE SHEET: ASSETS*

Total Current Assets- $10.0 Million

• Cash & CDs - $7.0 Million

• Materials & Supplies - $2.0 Million

• Accounts Receivable - $687,000

Other Assets & Investments - $16.9 Million

Telecommunications Plant - $24.6 Million

TOTAL ASSETS - $51.6 Million

BALANCE SHEET: LIABILITIES & MEMBERS’ EQUITY*

Current Liabilities- $1.9 Million

• Current Debt - $532,000

• Accounts Payable - $1.2 Million

Long-Term Debt- $6.8 Million

Total Members’ Equity - $41.9 Million

TOTAL LIABILITIES & MEMBERS’ EQUITY - $51.6 Million

STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS*

Operating Revenue - $13.6 Million

Operating Expenses - $11.2 Million

Margins from Operations - $2.4 Million

Non-Operating Margins - $709,000

NET MARGINS- $3.1 Million

The three cash door prize winners... Paul Bladow won $150 cash, Eldon Hermunslie won $300 cash and Mary Jo Schmid won the $500 cash prize.

Our ecstatic Nintendo Switch Lite winners Lydia, Maria & Daniel Morris, from our Wyndmere exchange.

RED RIVER COMMUNICATIONS

DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ELECTION RESULTS

Congratulations to our Directors re-elected for another three-year term.

• Wayne Schindler | District 2 - Barnesville

• Gary Boutiette | District 5 - Kent

• Jan Schmit | District 9 - Lidgerwood & Wyndmere

TIM VILAND District 1 Abercrombie

WAYNE SCHINDLER District 2 Barnesville

RHONDA ERBES Vice-President, District 3 Colfax

HARLAN DEIKE President, District 4 Great Bend

GARY BOUTIETTE Secretary/Treasurer, District 5 Kent

JOE PIKARSKI District 6 Mooreton

JERRY JANSSEN District 7 Rollag

RON GERMAN District 8 Fairmount & Hankinson

JAN SCHMIT District 9 Lidgerwood & Wyndmere

CASSIE TOSTENSON Attorney

CENTS

COMMON CENTS Q1 AWARDS

Three organizations received grant dollars from the Common Cents grant program in Q1. Congratulations to the following non-profit organizations:

BIO Girls Wahpeton - $500 for program materials

Friends of the Hankinson Library - $500 for the Imagination Library book program

Richland Wilkin Backpack Program$1,000 for supplies

If you are interested in applying for a Common Cents grant, complete & return the application. The Common Cents Board will review your application at their next quarterly meeting.

DOWNLOAD AN APPLICATION & LEARN MORE AT: redrivercomm.com/about/common-cents

Applications Due Quarterly: June 1, Sept. 1, Dec. 1 & March 1

LET’S DO MORE GOOD!

Lou Ann Lee (ABER Exchange) presents a $1,000 grant to the Richland Wilkin Backpack Program

Pam Krump (Colfax Exchange) presents a $500 Check to the Bio Girls - Wahpeton Chapter.

Donna Berg (Fairmount/Hankinson exchange) Presents a Grant $500 Check to the Friends of the Hankinson Public Library.

PROTECT THE PEOPLE & PLACES THAT MATTER.

The ultimate in self-monitored home security. Now delivered by Red River Communications.

Have you always wanted to install cameras at your home, but don’t want to mess with installation or high device costs?

With Arlo cameras from Red River Communications, you can enjoy the peace of mind that connected cameras provide, but installed and serviced from local professionals you know and trust.

HOW IT WORKS:

SELECT YOUR SYSTEM

Our Customer Experience Team will walk you through which security solution your home needs and schedule professional set up.

PROFESSIONAL SET-UP IN ABOUT AN HOUR

We will come to your home, set up your entire system, and teach you how to use the Red River Arlo app.

CONNECTIVITY ASSURANCE

Every security system is supported 24/7 by our Wi-Fi experts to ensure connectivity, performance, and peace of mind.

ALWAYS-ON SECURITY

With cameras guarding every room and entry point, you will have complete home visibility.

REDRIVERCOMM.COM/CAMERAS

READY TO SET STARTED? CALL US AT 701-553-8309

SELF-MONITORING ARLO PACKAGES

Experience the ultimate in security and reliability in your home with monitoring systems powered by WiFi 6.

ESSENTIAL HOME

1 Wire-free Video Doorbell

$49.95 per month

1 Doorbell Chime (or extra battery)

2 Arlo Pro4 Wire-free Cameras

2 Solar Panels (with charging cables) Arlo Secure (App) Subscription

$200 professional install and set-up

See every corner of your home, all from your phone. Never question what’s out there again with object detection, activity zones, and quick response notifications.

FRONT DOOR

1 Wire-free Video Doorbell

$14.95 per month

1 Doorbell Chime (or extra battery) Arlo Secure (App) Subscription

$100 professional install and set-up

See more at the front door! Get alerted when packages get delivered, when kids come from school, and when your spouse takes the dog for a walk.

Want More? Add extra cameras or batteries to either package: Extra Camera $19.95/mth + $50 install fee per camera, Extra Battery - $2.50/mth

2024 DIRECTORY PHOTO CONTEST

IT’S BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER!

Red River Communications is excited to announce the return of our directory photo contest! We are looking for photos that capture the beauty and diversity of our service area.

CONTEST PRIZES:

Grand Prize: Photo featured on the cover of the 2024 Red River Directory. Plus, SIX MONTHS FREE GIG Internet Service with Ultimate Wi-Fi

Second Place:

THREE MONTHS FREE GIG Internet Service with Ultimate Wi-Fi

Third Prize: 3 MONTHS FREE Ultimate Wi-Fi

All Submissions: All photo submissions may be displayed in our offices or featured in future Red River Communications marketing campaigns!

SCAN QR CODE TO SUBMIT PHOTOS!

To enter the contest, simply scan the QR Code with your phone or go to redrivercomm.com/photo-contest

ACCOUNT PRIVACY

WHY AUTHORIZED CONTACTS ARE IMPORTANT

For full contest rules, submission guidelines and legal disclaimers, go to: redrivercomm.com/photo-contest

Nothing frustrates a spouse or family member more than calling a service provider and being told they aren’t an authorized contact on the account. FCC rules called CPNI (Customer Proprietary Network Information) safeguard privacy in the communications industry. Medical providers and banks have similar privacy rules.

CPNI is personal information stored and collected by Red River Communications for billing and provisioning service. This protected information includes call detail, services and features subscribed to, and carrier selected for telephone service. This information can be shared with the account holder and any authorized contacts listed on the account.

Who is an authorized contact on your account? The answer varies - whoever the account holder has listed and given the account password. FCC rules require Red River Communications to authenticate the customer or authorized contact when you request protected account information. An established password and security questions are used to verify account access. Account information can only be shared with the customer or an authorized contact. Red River Communications follows the same rules for broadband, cellular and TV service.

To add or update authorized contacts on an account, the account holder can call Red River Communications with the account password. A CPNI form is also available at redrivercomm.com/about/applications to create a password, establish security questions and authorized contacts which should be completed and returned to Red River Communications.

COMMUNITY GRANT OPPORTUNITIES

RDFC GRANT PROGRAM

The Rural Development Finance Corporation (RDFC) has approved a 2023 grant allotment of $3,000 per member-cooperative to support community-owned entities, non-profits and community-based projects.

Eligible projects include community-owned businesses (café, grocery store, motel, other); community facilities (such as ambulance services, fire districts, recreation, hospital/clinic, community center, etc.); or community-based projects (school/youth projects, other) that benefit rural areas. Applications Due J une 10, 2023

COBANK SHARING SUCCESS GRANT PROGRAM

The CoBank Sharing Success Grant Program works with customers such as Red River Communications to provide grants to charitable organizations and causes. Nonprofits and other agencies such as schools & government organizations, can apply. Use of the grants must benefit a community or communities that receive service from Red River Communications. Grants range from $250 to $5,000. Applications Due J uly 10, 2023

GO TO REDRIVERCOMM.COM/COMMUNITY TO DOWNLOAD APPLICATIONS

DIRECTORY UPDATES

Spring/Summer 2023

Volume 8, Issue 2

The Red River Communications CONNECT newsletter is published quarterly for our members. It is distributed freeof-charge to our members in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Harlan Deike President District 4 - Great Bend

Rhonda Erbes Vice-President District 3 - Colfax

Gary Boutiette Secretary/Treasurer

District 5 - Kent

Tim Viland District 1 - Abercrombie

Wayne Schindler District 2 - Barnesville

Joe Pikarski

District 6 - Mooreton

Jerry Janssen District 7 - Rollag

Ron German District 8 - Fairmount/Hankinson

Jan Schmit District 9 - Lidgerwood/ Wyndmere

Red River Communications 510 Broadway | PO Box 136 Abercrombie, ND 58001

522 Dakota Ave Wahpeton, ND 58075

Questions? Service issues? Call 866-553-8309

RED RIVER CONNECT is produced by the Red River Communications team.

Contributing writers: Kari Kleingartner and Donna Thiel. This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

RED RIVER COMMUNICATIONS | SPRING/SUMMER 2023

CONNECT