Red River Comm Newsletter - Winter 2024

RED RIVER COMMUNICATIONS

CONNECT FEATURED STORY:

LEADING THE WAY FOR ON-FARM CONNECTIVITY PAGE 6-7 ANNUAL MEETING PREVIEW

PAGES 4-5

COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS

PAGE 8

HOME NETWORK SECURITY

PAGE 10

RED RIVER COMMUNICATIONS - VOLUME 9 - ISSUE 1 - WINTER 2024

RED RIVER

CONTENTS / NEWS

W W W.REDRIVERCOMM.COM

COMPANY NEWS

ANNUAL MEETING

FARM YARD NETWORKS

SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM 2024

COMMON CENTS AWARDS

HOME CYBER SECURITY

Promotions, work anniversary and construction news.

Preview of the 72nd Annual Meeting.

PAGE 4-5

Gauslow Farms: Connectivity on the farm.

Applications open for the RRC Scholarship.

Two organizations receive grant awards.

If it is connected, it is protected with ProtectIQ.

PAGE 6-7

PAGE 8

PAGE 9

PAGES 10

PAGE 3

A LETTER FROM

THE GENERAL MANAGER When I was a kid, my family attended many Farmer’s Union Annual Meetings in Pembina, ND. At first, I thought we were just getting a meal and a free pen, but I soon realized these meetings were far more valuable. They were an opportunity to learn about the principles and workings of a Cooperative.

On April 4th, I encourage you to bring your children and grandchildren to the Red River Communications Annual Meeting at the Richland #44 High School in Colfax, ND. It’s a chance to show your kids how a member-owned Cooperative can impact a community.

They will learn firsthand the financial benefits of Cooperative, knowing that in the not-so-distant future, they’ll also have the opportunity to join as members.

To make things even more exciting, we’ll have kid-friendly activities and a special door prize for kids 17 and

under - a Meta Quest 2 virtual reality headset. We’re sure they’ll be thrilled to participate in that!

And for the adults attending the meeting, there will be cash prize drawings and a chance to win one month of free GIG internet. We’ll also give away an exclusive Annual Meeting member gift - a SiliPint Silicone Pint Glass.

We understand you are busy, but we would greatly appreciate 30 minutes of your time to share valuable information about our cooperative. In return, you’ll enjoy a delicious meal and have the chance to win fantastic door prizes.

We will raise a “Sili” pint – to be filled with your beverage of choice when you get home – to our biggest turnout yet!

Sincerely, - Tom Steinolfson, CEO/GM

2

TOM STEINOLFSON

CEO/ GENERAL MANAGER

“It’s (The Annual Meeting) a chance to show your kids how a member-owned Cooperative can impact a community.”

RED RIVER COMMUNICATIONS | WINTER 2024

UPSTREAM @ RED RIVER

COMPANY NEWS

CONNECT

WORK ANNIVERSARY

RED RIVER PROMOTIONS Congratulations to several Red River Communications employees recently taking on new roles.

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE DEPARTMENT: Jenna Lovgren was promoted from Lead Customer Experience Specialist to our Customer Service Supervisor, managing the Customer Experience department.

OUTSIDE PLANT DEPARTMENT: In our Plant Department, Matt Kruize has moved into the role of Lead Outside Plant Network Technician, managing our OSP Techs, and David Rystad is now our Lead Outside Plant, leading our plant and mapping departments.

This January, Jenna Lovgren celebrated five years with Red River Communications.

As our Customer Experience Supervisor, Jenna is busy guiding and managing our excellent Customer Experience team.

We greatly appreciate everything she does for Red River Communications.

INSIDE PLANT DEPARTMENT: Tyler Johnson has moved from our OSP Technician crew to our operations department as a Network Administrator.

Jenna Lovgren

Matt Kruize

David Rystad

Tyler JOhnson

2024 FIBER BUILD PROJECTS The Red River Communications team is busy bringing FiberFAST broadband to multiple new communities in 2024. We are in the middle of assisting current Ag Wireless customer and future customers with the sign up process.

If you are a current Ag Wireless customer in one of the 2024 build areas, make sure to get your upgrade paperwork submitted this month for a chance at winning $1,200 cash in our early sign-up drawing! If you would like assistance, please call or office, or set up an appoint for an in-house consultation.

For more details, maps & project updates: redrivercomm.com/fiber-projects 3

Jenna Lovgren 5-Year Anniversary

AG WIRELESS UPGRADE FORM: If you would like to complete your Ag Wireless fiber upgrade form online, please scan this QR Code.

RED RIVER

ANNUAL MEETING

W W W.REDRIVERCOMM.COM

JOIN US

RED RIVER COMMUNICATONS

ANNUAL MEETING & MEMBER APPRECIATION MEAL Richland #44 High School - New Gym 101 Main, Colfax, ND, 58018

LOCATION: DATE: APRIL 4th, 2024

SCAN QR CODE TO ADD TO YOUR CALENDAR:

TIME: MEAL STARTS @ 5:00 PM The Red River Communications 72nd Annual Meeting and Member Appreciation Meal is anything but a stuffy business meeting. It is a time to celebrate the accomplishments of YOUR Cooperative.

It is where you get to vote for your board of directors, hear brief reports on the health of your cooperative, and meet the staff & board of directors that make it all happen.

We encourage you to bring your kids, your grandma, and your business partners, and join us for a fun evening of food and fellowship, plus tons of great prizes!

EXCLUSIVE

ANNUAL MEETING MEMBER GIFT SILIPINT SILICONE GLASS (ONE PER GUEST)

4

PREVIEW

RED RIVER COMMUNICATIONS | WINTER 2024

BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTIONS Anyone interested in being nominated for the Red River Communications Board of Directors can collect signatures on a petition & submit their completed form

by Feb. 27, 2024.

Three districts are up for election, with the following incumbent directors seeking re-election:

CONNECT

CRITERIA FOR NOMINEES: • Be a member of the exchange they would represent.

• Currently lives in exchange they would represent & have lived there for at least 90 days in the last 12 months.

• Not a current or past employee.

• No financial conflict of interest in other ventures.

• Not convicted of a federal or state crime.

• Not closely related to a board member or current employee.

District 1 - Abercrombie - Tim Viland District 4 - Great Bend - Harlan Deike

• Be willing to attend monthly, state, and national meetings as required.

District 7 - Rollag - Jerry Janssen

CONTACT OUR OFFICE AT 701-553-8309 TO OBTAIN A PETITION OR FOR ADDITIONAL INFO.

ANNUAL MEETING

*MUST BE PRESENT TO WIN

DOOR PRIZES CASH PRIZES

FOR KIDS 17 AND UNDER! 2

$100, $250 & $500!

ONE MONTH FREE GIG INTERNET - ONE WINNER PER EXCHANGE! WE WILL SELECT ONE MEMBER FROM EACH EXCHANGE TO RECEIVE ONE MONTH FREE GIG INTERNET SERVICE*! *Can be exchanged for one month free landline phone service.

5

RED RIVER

FARM YARD NETWORKS

W W W.REDRIVERCOMM.COM

LEADING THE WAY FOR

ON-FARM

CONNECTIVITY

BY KARI KLEINGARTNER, MARKETING SPECIALIST A quiet revolution is underway in the heart of the Midwest, where vast fields stretch as far as the eye can see. Growing up as a farm kid in rural Richland County, I never imagined being at the forefront of a technological revolution that rivals those in big cities. Yet, I was witnessing one of history’s most significant technological shifts.

operations remotely, enhancing productivity and flexibility.

Red River Communications supports farmers by providing high-speed broadband connectivity, currently offering speeds up to 1 Gig, soon to be 2.5 and 10 Gigs, along with custom-designed farmyard networks tailored to each farm’s needs, serving as central hubs connecting tools and equipment in realtime.

My childhood was marked by an early embrace of technology. My Dad often recalls bringing home our first personal computer the same week I was born. We quickly adapted to dial-up internet when it became available. This early exposure laid the foundation for my career at Red River Communications.

THE FUTURE: GROWING FARMING OPERATION Gauslow Farms, a fifth-generation family farm in rural Walcott, ND, co-owned and run by my brother Scott, sister-in-law Jess, and my parents, Dave and Renee Gauslow, primarily grows soybeans and corn.

American farmers eagerly embrace technological advancement. Over the last century, they’ve transitioned from horses to tractors, now utilizing modern farm equipment with multiple screens and devices, resembling spaceships more than tractors.

BROADBAND: A FOUNDATION FOR AGRICULTURE

This father-son farming operation has expanded through strategic planning, incorporating new technology-enabled farm equipment, monitoring systems, additional acreage, and goals to enhance productivity and efficiency.

Broadband internet is crucial for precision farming, offering real-time soil, weather, and crop health data, enabling farmers to access market information, purchase inputs, sell grain or livestock, and manage

As the past president of the Red River Communications Board of Directors, my Dad recognized the need for connectivity in the farmyard to expand their operation.

6

RED RIVER COMMUNICATIONS | WINTER 2024

Our operation team designed and installed a complete network delivering farmwide Wi-Fi access and direct connectivity to key locations in the yard, including new grain handling and dryer set-up, an existing shop, and a planned future farm office/storage building.

“Fiber broadband provides a solid foundation for a robust farm network,” said Ryan Wallock, Red River Communications’ Network Manager. “With the right equipment, we can create a system that will work for the operations immediate needs and plan for future expansion.”

Thanks to this future-proof fiber broadband technology, the farm is now well-positioned to sustain its operation for generations.

“It’s about interconnected devices and systems on a farm communicating with each other, optimizing tasks, and collecting real-time data,” said Dave Gauslow.

“As ag producers, Scott and I envision a future where farms are more innovative, efficient, profitable, and attuned to the

ever-changing demands of the modern world. It is fiber broadband, delivered through Red River Communications, that make it all possible.“ THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT I am proud to have grown up in a farm family. It has shaped me both personally and professionally. I am also pleased to be a part of the Red River Communications family. Daily, I am surrounded by intelligent and talented individuals leading the charge in advancing technology in our rural communities, providing leading-edge solutions for ag producers, businesses and residents of the Red River Valley.

Perhaps in the future, children from urban areas will dream about the technological advancements taking place in the beautiful fields of Richland County.

If you are interested in a farm or yard network, please call Red River Communications at 701-553-8309 and schedule an appointment with our team to determine the right solution for your farming operation.

7

CONNECT

RED RIVER

W W W.REDRIVERCOMM.COM

2024 SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

RED RIVER COMMUNICATIONS

SCHOLARSHIP

PROGRAM Red River Communications is pleased to offer scholarships to high school seniors pursuing higher education in vocational fields and general studies.

The Red River Communications College Scholarship Program aims to support and recognize students within our service territory who have achieved academic excellence by providing financial assistance to further their education.

Now until March 15th, 2024, eligible students can apply for one of twelve $1,000 scholarships.

LEARN MORE AND APPLY TODAY AT redrivercomm.com/scholarships

SCHOLARSHIP CATAGORIES:

APPLICATIONS DUE: MARCH 15, 2024

• GENERAL SCHOLARSHIPS • VOCATIONAL, TECHNICAL, AGRICULTURAL SCHOLARSHIPS

8

COMMON CENTS AWARDS

RED RIVER COMMUNICATIONS | WINTER 2024

CONNECT

ROUND UP FOR CHANGE IT’S COMMON CENTS!

PamELA Krump (Colfax Exchange) presents a $2,500 grant to the Colfax fire and rescue for a flow meter and helmet

At Red River Communications, we believe in the power of working together to improve our communities. That is why we founded Common Cents, a non-profit entity operated separately from Red River Communications. Through our members’ and customers’ donations - either by rounding up their bill to the next dollar or a one-time donation- we can support community organizations with grant dollars. If you are looking for ways to get involved, here are a few suggestions.

SERVE ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS: If you want to get more involved in the grant awards disbursement,

please contact Donna Thiel at 701-553-8243. When a seat in your exchange opens up, she will contact you about applying for the board of directors.

CONTRIBUTE OR DONATE: Are you contributing to Common Cents? Just give our office a call and we will check.

If you are not currently contributing, we can enroll you in the round up program or make a one-time or ongoing donation to the Common Cents program.

APPLY FOR A GRANT: Is an organization you are involved with interested in applying for a Common Cents grant?

Download, complete and return the application to Red River Communications. The Common Cents Board will review your application at their next quarterly meeting.

Applications and more information can be found at redrivercomm.com/about/common-cents.

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

COMMON CENTS 2023-Q4 AWARDS Congratulations to these two deserving organizations who received Common Cents grant funds in December.

Colfax Fire and Rescue - $2,500 Flow Meter and Helmet BIO Girls (Campbell/Tintah) - $1,000 New Program Set-up

PamELA Krump (Colfax Exchange) presents a $1,000 grant to Bio Girls Campbell/Tintah.

9

RED RIVER

W W W.REDRIVERCOMM.COM

CYBER SECURITY AT HOME

PROTECT ALL YOUR DEVICES PROTECTIQ NETWORK SECURITY With the explosion of the Internet of Things, you now have access to everything from smartphones to smart fridges. These interconnected devices may make life more convenient—but they may also leave you more vulnerable to security issues.

As new smart technologies enable data to move more freely across networks and devices, you must be equally smart about how you defend your data against hackers.

Many of these systems have simple or no built-in security considerations and a lot of IT professionals would tell you that you need to set up a separate home network for everything other than your PCs and smartphones. We say that these IT professionals need to go back to school. You don’t need more than one network if you have Red River Ultimate FiberFAST TM Wi-Fi which includes ProtectIQ. With ProtectIQ™, you will receive the internet security you need. It leverages a large cloud database of known virus and ransomware threats. By looking for the specific signatures of these threats in real-time, ProtectIQ can terminate the transfer of data before a malicious payload is delivered to any vulnerable devices in the network. As new threats are emerging daily, the threat database is continuously updated to offer protection against the latest threats. ProtectIQ is a network-level security application that works quietly in the background and proactively keeps malicious websites, viruses, and intrusion away from your home 24x7.

ULTIMATE FiberFASTTM WI-FI with ProtectIQ- Only $14.95 /month

READY TO GET PROTECTED? Contact Red River Communications today, or go to redrivercomm.com/internet/wifi for more information.

Download the Red River Connect App and call us to activate Ultimate FiberFAST TM Wi-Fi with ProtectIQ today!

10

RED RIVER COMMUNICATIONS | WINTER 2024

CONNECT

Winter 2024 Volume 9, Issue 1 The Red River Communications CONNECT newsletter is published quarterly for our members. It is distributed freeof-charge to our members and customers in North Dakota, Minnesota and South Dakota.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Harlan Deike President District 4 - Great Bend

2024 CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS We are now accepting requests for construction projects. Whether planning to build a new home or add internet service or Wi-Fi network to your farm site or outbuildings, now is the perfect time to start planning your fiber project.

2024 DIRECTORIES 2024 Phone Directories are here.

If you need an extra copy, stop by one of our offices.

2 0 2 4

Stop into one of our offices or give us a call to get your project on our construction list for 2024.

AREA CODES 701 & 218

INCLUDING

BARNESVILLE (CITY) • BRECKENRIDGE CAMPBELL CHRISTINE • COMSTOCK HAWLEY • KINDRED • WAHPETON WALCOTT • WOLVERTON

DIRECTORY UPDATES Doris Hubrig Scott Gutzmer St. Vincent’s Thrift Store Stephen Ekre

NUMBER

RESID/BUS

CITY

(701) 545-7475 (701) 242-7869 (701) 242-7300 (218) 493-4580

Residence Residence Business Residence

Hankinson, ND Hankinson, ND Hankinson, ND Barnesville, MN

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Tim Viland District 1 - Abercrombie Wayne Schindler District 2 - Barnesville Joe Pikarski District 6 - Mooreton

Ron German District 8 - Fairmount/Hankinson

SERVING ABERCROMBIE • BARNESVILLE (RURAL) • COLFAX • FAIRMOUNT • GREAT BEND HANKINSON • KENT • LIDGERWOOD MOORETON • ROLLAG • WYNDMERE

REDRIVERCOMM.COM

Gary Boutiette Secretary/Treasurer District 5 - Kent

Jerry Janssen District 7 - Rollag

LOCAL DIRECTORY

INTERNET | WI-FI | PHONE | TV | CELLULAR | CAMERAS

NAME

Rhonda Erbes Vice-President District 3 - Colfax

Jan Schmit District 9 - Lidgerwood/ Wyndmere Red River Communications 510 Broadway | PO Box 136 Abercrombie, ND 58001 7925 180th Ave SE Wahpeton, ND 58075 Questions? Service issues?

Call 866-553-8309 RED RIVER CONNECT is produced by the Red River Communications Team.

Contributing writers include: Kari Kleingartner, Tom Steinolfson & Donna Thiel.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

11

PO Box 136 | 510 Broadway Abercrombie, ND 58001

YOU SET THE RULES, WE ENFORCE THEM. SCAN QR CODE TO LEARN MORE & DOWNLOAD FREE APP

RED RIVER CONNECT WI-FI APP FREE with your FiberFAST TM Wi-Fi.

LOCATIONS & OFFICE HOURS

510 Broadway, Abercrombie 7925 180th Ave SE, Wahpeton Monday-Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm (Wahpeton closed Noon - 1pm)

Your FiberFASTTM Internet Provider

HELP DESK

BILL PAY

Need assistance?

We’re here 24/7 to help you!

866-553-8309

No added fees! Online or by phone.

855-386-9905 redrivercomm.com

redrivercomm.com