Network Connections Fall 2019 by DRN ReadiTech

NETWORK CONNECTIONS READi TECH

Fall 2019

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69th Annual Meeting Save the date for October 17, 2019 Page 6:

From Williston to Wahpeton: Discover how BAND keeps North Dakota connected Page 10:

Broadband & Baseball

BAND Executive Director

The story of North Dakota broadband across the state is one of the most remarkable stories in our history. Today, North Dakota regularly ranks in the top handful of states when measuring internet speeds and the percentage of people that have access to broadband services. One national publication even posed the question, “How did North Dakota become the crown jewel of the internet in the Midwest?” The answer is fascinating in its simplicity; it’s because of locally-owned broadband providers. In 1953, local owners joined together to form an association to represent local interests. Working with policymakers in both North Dakota and Washington, D.C., they created an understanding of the importance vibrant communications networks have within our state. When founded, its name was the North Dakota Association of Telephone Cooperatives. Since then, it has evolved as the members, services, technology, but, most importantly, the needs of customers, have changed. Today, we are known as the Broadband Association of North Dakota or “BAND.” This change reflects how we are no longer simply telephone companies, but are now state-of-the-art technology companies. Early on, BAND realized that success would be determined by the ability to prepare for the future. And they did just that. Members began to transition, offering new products and researching new communication technology. Now, a “telephone company” has become a “broadband company,” providing access to entertainment, opportunities, and a connection to the world.

In fact, it’s almost inconceivable, but the “telephone” services offered

by BAND almost no longer exist. Today, customers’ wants and needs call for greater bandwidth in their homes to use streaming services, like Netflix and YouTube, which consume larger amounts of broadband. Phone services now make up a sliver of the traffic traveling through the broadband pipe to your home. Unlike other states, in North Dakota, you likely receive broadband services from a local provider. BAND’s 18 members serve over 96 percent of the geographic territory across the state. Decisions regarding broadband networks that bring you services are being made in Park River, Hazen, Williston, and other local communities, not in a corporate board room in New York City. For BAND and our member organizations, we see this local ownership as a unique strength. It’s how we are able to offer some of the fastest internet in the country. The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines high-speed broadband as the ability to “download 4 megabits and send 1 megabit per second.” The Federal Communications Commission defines it as “downloading 25 megabits and sending 3 megabits.” Gigabit service is 1,000 megabits each way. Rural North Dakotans have access to speeds 250 times faster than the federally defined minimum. And yet, despite that, North Dakota still experiences a “digital divide. ”The digital divide exists when a state’s urban areas receive high-speed broadband funding and the rural areas receive virtually none, leaving rural areas with a lack of infrastructure to support new technologies. In North Dakota, BAND is actively working to close that gap. In addition to advocating with policymakers in Congress to advance proposals that eliminate the digital divide, we are in the midst of completing the most ambitious technological build-out to deliver next-generation services across the state. We are committed to bringing gigabit-speed to every home, business, school, library, and government office we serve. This effort is not cheap, easy, or some promise made for the future. It is happening now. Already, nine BAND members are 100 percent “fiber to the home.” Meaning, it doesn’t matter if you live in town or 30 miles outside its limits, you can have Gig service. Two more members will finish build-out this fall, another next year, and the rest within two years from now. North Dakota will be one of the most connected states in the nation. The Broadband Association of North Dakota has changed over 70 years, but the guiding principals and promise to their customers remain the same. BAND continues to evolve as the needs of customers do, using the best technology available to give North Dakotans opportunities equal to anyone else in the world.

WELCOME TO OUR NEW EDITION OF NETWORK CONNECTIONS By Kent Schimke

DRN ReadiTech General Manager/CEO

Although the format and style of the newsletter has changed, the goal has not. And that is to bring you, the members, news and information regarding your cooperative. This newsletter will be published quarterly instead of bi-monthly. Late last fall, the telecommunications cooperatives gathered to brainstorm ways they could work together to tell our stories of how we provide state-of-the-art telecommunications services and market our products to bring economic growth to the state of North Dakota and our local service areas. The solution was to market our services through storytelling—videos, blogs, social media posts and a newsletter where we could share success stories from across the state, but leave enough pages for local content that pertained only to our members. Hence, you are reading the first edition of this newsletter. Your cooperative is working with the Broadband Association of North Dakota (BAND) to educate our members, consumers, and communities about the benefits of a fiber network. Local cooperatives have joined forces in North Dakota and beyond to educate people from all areas of the nation of our great infrastructure and services. We are proud to be a locally-owned and operating telecommunications cooperative in North Dakota serving our members for over 68 years. Our Board of Directors and employees are dedicated to keeping our customers connected locally and globally. BAND connects cooperatives like ours across the state, opening doors to opportunity, networking, discovery, and teamwork.

SAVE THE DATE

Communications and technology are evolving as fast as the needs of the customers we serve. BAND is comprised of 18 member cooperatives, serving over 96 percent of the geographic territory across North Dakota, keeping hard-working North Dakotans connected. Serving rural areas remains a task that we at DRN ReadiTech are more than familiar with. People often talk about a digital divide. DRN ReadiTech is proud to be ahead of this challenge by serving our members with 100% fiber connected services. DRN customers can live in town or 30 miles from main street, and your internet service is just as fast. Our services allow our customers to live in one of the most connected states in the nation, some may even say North Dakota has grown to become the crown jewel of the Midwest. As you read through this newsletter, we hope you will find it informative and educational. In the article, Broadband and Baseball, you will learn how a small snack company grew to be a giant even amongst major league baseball. This is just one example of how broadband can bring economic growth to our small communities and rural areas. Just as we are working together with other cooperatives, we recognize that a critical step to build our own strong cooperative is to keep our members updated on the work that we do. Join us for our Annual Meeting on Thursday, October 17 at the Ellendale Public School. A meal will be served starting at 4:30 pm and we will begin the meeting at 6:00 pm. We have three district seats up for election to the Board of Directors. Please mark your calendars, plan to attend and learn more about your cooperative. I hope to see you on Oct. 17.

DRN 69th Annual Meeting

Thursday, October 17, 2019 Ellendale Public School 4:30 - 5:45 pm Meal | 6 pm Meeting

DRN READITECH WELCOMES NEW STAFF DRN ReadiTech is pleased to announce the hiring of several new employees. “We are excited to welcome these new employees to DRN to meet the growing demands of our business,” said Kent Schimke, DRN ReadiTech CEO and General Manager. Angel Caro joined DRN as a technical support analyst in the Ellendale office. He previously worked in production at the Dickey County Leader. Angel resides in Ellendale. In his spare time, Angel enjoys spending time with his family, gaming and music. Bobbi Jo Kronberg, customer care specialist, joined the DRN customer service team and works in the Ellendale office. She previously worked as a patient access representative at Sanford in Fargo. In her spare time, she enjoys hockey, riding horse, spending time outside, and time with her many nieces and soon-to-arrive nephew. She resides in Forbes.

Jacob Parker joined the ReadiTech team as a network assistant in the Lisbon office. He is a native of Las Vegas and is a graduate of the University of Mary in Bismarck. He previously worked at NISC in Mandan. In his spare time, he enjoys playing sports and video games. Jacob currently resides in Lisbon. Kelly Fischer recently joined the ReadiTech team as a network analyst in the Ellendale office. He previously worked at Green Iron Equipment as the IT manager. In his spare time, he enjoys coaching football, watching sports, playing volleyball, running, tacos, ice cream and board games. He resides in Ellendale with his family. Matthew Watkins has joined the technical assistance department in the Ellendale office. Previously, he worked as a correctional officer at James River Correctional Center in Jamestown. Matt lives in Ellendale and in his spare time, he enjoys playing video games, reading books and riding bike. Tasnim (Maya) Orwig joined DRN as a technical support analyst in the Ellendale

SAVE THE DATE

OPEN HOUSE Readi Tech

Angel Caro

Bobbi Jo Kronberg

Jacob Parker

Kelly Fischer

Matthew Watkins

Tasnim Orwig

office. Her previous employment includes working as a technical support representative for Northern State University in Aberdeen, SD. Maya has been living in Ellendale for a little over one year. She has customer service experience in two different countries, and loves being an active member of the community to learn more about new people and cultures.

Interested in joining our team? See our job openings online at drnreaditech.coop

TIME TO CUT THE PHONE LINE

INNOVATION CENTER a high-tech classroom

Wednesday, August 21st 2:00 - 4:00 pm Southeast Region Career & Technology Center, Oakes

Join us for refreshments and a tour as we open the new high-tech classroom to students and the public.

Customers can now disconnect their landline phone and sign up for Internet Only. Contact a customer service rep today to learn how you can save!

344-5000

BUILDING UP BROADBAND: How BAND makes life easier in rural America

In the winter, it’s quiet out at Feil Farms. The 3,500-acre farm is 20 miles northwest of Langdon, far from the hustle and bustle of town. Sean Feil grew up here watching his grandfather and father work the land, growing barley and wheat. Later, they would start planting canola, and years later, soybeans. Each day was spent outdoors, and each day was different. Sean couldn’t imagine any other life.

Today, 65 years later, this organization now serves North Dakota as BAND — the Broadband Association of North Dakota. And while so much has changed, their mission has not; to ensure the highest quality communication systems are accessible to all North Dakotans. Their hard work over the decades laying over 45,000 miles of fiber across the state has changed the lives of folks across North Dakota. Folks like Sean, and his family, on their farm in Langdon.

“I enjoy being outside,” he says. His voice is low, thoughtful. “Being your own boss. Watching the crops grow each year.”

Living in a rural area, Sean was used to not

“My dad could have never imagined this,” he says.

Far more important for Sean, however, is that he can spend more time with his wife Brittany, his 4-year-old daughter, his 3-year-old son, and their new 15-month-old little girl. Before, his frequent trips took time away from home. During busy season, when work requires him to stay overnight at the farm, he was forced to say goodbye and had little to no connection with his family. Now, with the broadband services from his local broadband provider, Sean is able to stay connected.

It’s a familiar lifestyle to many families in rural North Dakota, where agriculture is the leading revenue-producing industry and accounts for about one-fourth of the state’s economic base. From Williston to Wahpeton, this is the heart of “America’s Breadbasket,” where we value the art of working the land. In fact, 39.1 million acres — nearly 90% of North Dakota’s land area — is in farms and ranches. And yet, what does living in rural America look like in a world that is growing increasingly connected? What does it look like in a postdot-com society where the internet is no longer a nice-to-have, but a need-to-have? Questions like these are why in 1953, a group of North Dakota telephone cooperatives had the forethought to band together to keep North Dakota connected. They met at the Patterson Hotel in Bismarck, with a mission to guard against unfavorable legislation and ensure the highest quality communication systems would remain available across North Dakota. They had no idea how much would change.

As Sean reflects on the broadband services he uses to sustain his farm, he shakes his head with a smile.

In addition, his broadband provider dug fiber out to Sean’s farm and set him up with a wireless access point so that he now has a point-to-point internet connection throughout the yard. Now, he can keep up to date on markets, weather, and look up equipment parts right from the field.

This committed organization has ebbed and flowed through a revolutionary era of communication. At the time of the association’s creation, a majority of rural North Dakota residents had party-line service, wires were strung from pole to pole and “long distance” calls were prohibitively expensive. Today, rural areas of the state have access to some of the fastest and most affordable broadband technology found anywhere in the United States.

having a good connection from the farm to the ‘outside world’. The phone reception was choppy, and if he needed to look up equipment on the internet, he had to wait until he went back into Langdon. Every day, he said goodbye to his wife and kids and made the 20-mile drive to check on the farm. At night, he often lay awake worrying if the crop and equipment were safe — but he had no way of knowing. That is until he brought up his challenge to his uncle, who works at United Communications, a member organization of BAND. He suggested Sean try out installing a wireless access point and a security camera system, to allow him to check on the farm remotely. Sean was sold. With the help of United Communications, he installed four cameras throughout his farm. Now, Sean gets a text any time motion is detected by the sensors or the cameras, and can even see who it is. Everything is also recorded on his DVR, so he can rewind and review video footage if needed. “I have a lot more peace of mind,” Sean said. “I don’t worry so much when I’m gone.”

“During the busy times, I can still stay in touch with my wife and ask how things are going back home,” he said. “And every night before bed, I FaceTime my kids to say goodnight and tell them I love them.” For the 18 local broadband providers across North Dakota that make up BAND — this is why we do what we do. It’s stories like Sean’s that illustrate what it looks like to live in rural America today; how North Dakotans can enjoy the beauty of rural living while maintaining quality broadband and connection across the state. Serving the people of North Dakota is how it all started 65 years ago — and no matter where the adventure of communication services takes us, BAND’s mission will remain true for the next 65 years and beyond.

Learn more about BAND and how you can connect with your local BAND organization, at broadbandnd.com.

SAVE THE DATE FOR YOUR ANNUAL MEETING

SMART COMMUNICATION WITH SMARTHUB

Save the date for DRN’s Annual Meeting on Thursday, October 17 at Ellendale Public School. A meal will be served from 4:30-5:45 pm followed by the meeting at 6:00 pm.

Have you ever had questions about your DRN ReadiTech bill? Do you ever wonder your true usage? If you’ve ever had questions about your account, our innovative web and mobile app, SmartHub, can help provide some answers.

Included in this year’s agenda will be the election of officers. The following districts have seats up for election: District 7 serving Nelvik and Venturia, currently held by Ralph Neu. District 8 serving Forbes and Merricourt, currently held by Paul Olson. District 11 serving Oakes, Forman, Gwinner, and Lisbon, currently held by Rod Buck. Members of the Nominating Committee will meet on Wednesday, Aug. 28. Nominating committee members include Roger Miller, Marion; Joel Christoferson, Fort Ransom; Jeanette Kungel, Fredonia; Jeff Roeder, Milnor; Carl Lindgren, Ashley; Darrell Schrum, Forbes; Don Glynn, Fullerton; Jerrod Lematta, Ellendale and Steve Olson, Oakes. Nominations by petition are due by September 27. For more information contact Janell Hauck, marketing manager at 344-5000. Learn more about your cooperative from President Ralph Neu, CEO/ General Manager Kent Schimke, and Financial Manager Troy Radermacher during the meeting as they provide updated reports regarding the cooperative’s operations.

SmartHub is available through the drnreaditech.coop website and as a mobile app through the Apple App Store (iOS devices) or Google Play Marketplace (Android devices). SmartHub provides many features that can help you understand your account or get a hold of us in a hurry.

RURAL DEVELOPMENT FINANCE CORPORATION AWARDS GRANTS DRN ReadiTech is a member of the Rural Development Finance Corporation (RDFC). As a result, organizations in our service area were eligible to apply for a grant of up to $2,000 for community -based projects. RDFC has made these funds available in order that more people become aware of their larger loan program that funds community-based projects and non-profit entities with low interest loans.

Through SmartHub, you’ll be able to view detailed usage information that will provide insight that can help better understand your bill. You’ll be able to put yourself in the driver’s seat of your DRN ReadiTech account.

RDFC has recently made three grants in DRN ReadiTech’s service area. The first grant of $750 went to the Ellendale 4H Shooting Sports Club. Grant funds will go towards providing a facility for the youth to practice archery, and to the community of Ellendale for providing a year-round gathering space. 4H Shooting Sports Club members Paige Henningsen, Madison Anliker, and coach Travis Anliker accept the grant donation from Kari Nishek, DRN ReadiTech Manager and RDFC Board Member.

You’ll also receive important news and information about DRN ReadiTech through the app. Any important news or alerts you need to know, you’ll receive immediately. You can also contact us with any issues regarding your service.

THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING!

Take control of your account and make interacting with DRN ReadiTech easy with SmartHub. Smart Management. Smart Life. SmartHub.

We had such a fun time at our picnics this year. Thank you to all the members who attended and to Dakota Valley Electric Co-Op for co-hosting. We served over 500 people total in Milnor and LaMoure.

A grant of $750 went to the North Sargent School, Gwinner. Funds will go towards providing specialized services through The Village Family Service Center for students. Superintendent Dawn Hoeke is pictured accepting the grant from Michelle Schroeder, DRN ReadiTech. A $500 grant was awarded to the Ellendale Elementary School. The school plans to use the grant funds to provide up to 25 students with varied flexible seating opportunities which will promote collaboration, problem solving and to better facilitate communication in the classroom. Ellendale Elementary Principal, Dan Girard and Superintendent, Michael Kaiser accept the grant from Pamela Henningsen, DRN ReadiTech. For an application, assistance, or questions concerning RDFC, please contact Lori Capouch at 701.667.6444 or lcapouch@ndarec.com

NEW DIRECTORY LISTINGS Ashley 288 Orvin Igou.................. 288-3761 Dickey 778 Robin Barnes............. 778-7439 Ellendale 349 Judy Pahl................... 349-2351

Catch local fall sports action on BEK Sports and BEK Sports Plus+. Visit beksports.com to see a full schedule.

Edgeley 493 Deanna Hoffarth....... 493-3193 Forman 724 Klaas Vanderwolf...... 724-3447 Tansey Hosford......... 724-3524 Forbes, SD 358 Chase Martin......(605) 358-8895 Gwinner 678 Nicki Erickson...............678-2414 Judy Clow.....................678-2587 Jackie Meyer................678-3978 LaMoure 883 Clarice J Coit............. 883-4277 William Randall.......... 883-5578 Rodney Ketterling...... 883-5952

Lisbon 683 Alicia Moss................ 683-4418 The Lunchbox Bakery.683-4522

Lisbon 683 cont. NDBVME.................... 683-4705 Kevin Long................. 683-5894 Litchville 762 Rusty Spur................. 762-3620 Darrell Helm............... 762-4834 Kulm 647 Annette Hazelton...... 647-2663 Marion 669 Marion Community Cafe.......... 669-2379 Merricourt 396 Joyce Ballard............. 396-7216 Milnor 427 Tim Faber................... 427-5120 Callie Girodat............. 427-5266 Melissa Lunneborg... 427-5488 Oakes 742 Paul Sutherland......... 742-2462 Deann Hutchinson.... 742-2671 Candice Briggs.......... 742-2742 Darcy Guajardo.......... 742-3008 Evelyn Telin................ 742-3214

Today, Giants Snacks continues to grow from their home based in Wahpeton, ND. There, they can remain in close proximity to the farmers producing the seeds and maintain quality control over their products. And, Tom adds, there are just good people out there.

online groups, where they can fill out online surveys and provide market research on new products. Once new products are released, Tom and the Giants Snacks team are able to track feedback through customer reviews on the website.

“There’s a small-town mentality that people have,” he said. “That’s what I really appreciate about this area.”

“Sometimes we have to nix a flavor and years later people are still asking for it,” Tom said, mentioning their top request right now is spicy garlic. “Sometimes they don’t get enough traction, and you have to know when to bite the bullet and move on to the next thing. Our online surveys and feedback help us know when to do that.”

Baseball & the Broadband Association of North Dakota Of course, owning and operating a business that caters to customers across the country — and even a few around the world — demands certain resources in order to be successful. One of the most important pieces, Tom said, is having reliable internet.

How Giants Snacks became the snack of choice for every American baseball league

It was an otherwise ordinary afternoon at Giants Snacks in Wahpeton, ND, when the phone rang with an unknown number. Jason Schuler, a sales manager at the time, answered. “Hello?” “Hello, I’m a manager for the New York Yankees. We’d like to get some of your sunflower seeds for our dugout.” Jason smirked and hung up. He knew it had to be some of his buddies pulling a prank. The number called again. “Look —” Jason began. “Sir, this really is the New York Yankees,” the manager said. Jason froze. Then he laughed and apologized. A few weeks later, New York Yankees like A-Rod, Derek Jeter, and Kevin Brown were chewing Giants original sunflower seeds on the field. And they weren’t the only ones.

“Other teams would come to the Twins’ stadium, try the Giants seeds, and then request them for their own dugout,” said Tom Spiekermeier, Operations Manager at Giants. “Today, we’re at the dugout of every league in the country. And that’s all through the player’s choice.” Giants remains the official seed of the Minnesota Twins to this day, and over the years they have also been the official seed of the Colorado Rockies and the St. Louis Cardinals, among others. Today, every year, the company ships out 2-3 pallets, or

Sunflower Socks The origin of Giants Snacks is far more humble. The Schuler family traces it to generations ago, when a young man who was leaving Russia for America smuggled sunflower seeds in his socks — all the way to the Red River Valley. That man would eventually have a grandson named Jay Schuler, who sold sunflower seeds to snacking companies across the U.S. Meanwhile, fields of yellow sunflowers continued to grow and bloom across North Dakota. During Jay’s time working for the snack company, he found some of the sunflower seeds were larger and plumper than the others. These, he was instructed to ship overseas. Jay had a vision that these larger seeds could be popular in America — but none of the companies wanted to jump on board.

All hail, the North Dakota Giants It was a time of exponential growth for Giants Snacks. They had recently been declared the official seed of the Minnesota Twins, thanks to a concerted effort from Jason, now the Vice President of Sales. From there, they quickly gained a reputation as the best sunflower seeds around — in large part (no pun intended) due to their bigger-thanaverage variety of sunflower seeds (hence the name “Giants”).

“So if you’re watching baseball and see the players chewing seeds — that’s Giants Snacks!” Tom said.

“We were concerned about the consumer. They were concerned about their bottom line,” Jay Schuler said, in a Grand Forks Herald article about their story. around 6,732 bags of sunflower seeds, to every major league baseball home stadium in America. (The only exception is the Toronto Blue Jays, and that’s only due to the restrictions and costs of shipping into Canada.)

So, finally, in 1995, he put some in a bag and began selling them himself, calling them “Giants.” Over the years, these “Giants” grew in popularity. When Jay’s sons Jason and Robert joined, which lead to the Twins declaring Giants the official seed of the team, Giants snacks became a sought after snack.

Thanks to their local broadband provider, Red River Communications, part of the Broadband Association of North Dakota (BAND), Giants doesn’t have to worry about their rural location affecting their internet connection. BAND’s initiative, from the beginning, has focused on providing North Dakotans with quality broadband no matter where they are located, urban or rural. Through decades of concerted effort laying fiber and fighting for the right legislation, North Dakota is now one of the most connected states in the nation. In fact, many rural areas often have higher internet speeds than in major cities. “Having quality broadband makes my job so much easier — it makes all of our jobs so much easier,” Tom said. “I don’t know how I would get by without it.” Quality broadband allows Tom to use a technology platform that tracks every productivity line, runs quality checks, and gathers data, all on his iPad. They also use a security service that allows them to remotely monitor and control their entrances. More recently, Giants is also beginning to utilize automated machines to optimize their productivity. None of these tools would be possible without a reliable internet connection, Tom said. “We always try to ask ourselves, what can we do to be better? What can we do to be more efficient?” Tom said. “With these tools and data, I’m able to see which problems to focus on. It truly does help us to make a better product, and run a better business.”

Innovate or Die Giants Snacks also uses their internet to connect with consumers. With the rise of e-commerce, they’ve launched a brand new website (you can check it out here!) which has increased their online sales. They also interact with their groups of taste-testers via

Recently, the “next thing” for Giants was the release of two completely new product lines: pistachios and cashews. Both products are quickly gaining success, Tom said — although their most famous continues to be their famous Giants Original Flavor Sunflower Seeds.

you to participate in Made in America Day,” the caller said. Lucy hung up. Spam, she thought, shaking her head. The phone rang again. “Ma’am, this really is the White House,” they said. Sure enough, a few months later, Lucy and another Giants Snacks representative found themselves heading to the White House with a custom designed American Flag bag of sunflower seeds to show off the snack-ofchoice for the players of America’s favorite pastime.

“My personal favorite is bacon ranch sunflower seeds,” Tom shared. “We also just released a sour cream and onion pistachio, and they’re so good.” With flavors, packaging, technology and every other aspect of their business, Giants Snacks is committed to staying innovative. Giants Snacks founder Jay Schuler often quotes a famed line from Gary Vaynerchuk: “If you don’t innovate, you die.” From the very early days of pitching larger sunflower seeds to consumers (and even further back, one might argue, the innovative method of using a sock to transport seeds cross-country) — innovation runs in Giants Snacks roots. Equipped with quality broadband and technology, a quality home base in North Dakota, and a quality team of folks who understand agriculture and the beauty of a tasty sunflower seed, Giants Snacks is looking forward to continued success.

Epilogue Last year, Lucy Spiekermeier, Giants Snacks Inc. General Manager, received a call from an unknown number. Like Jason years before, she was skeptical. She answered anyway. “Hello, this is Giants Snacks Inc.?” “Hello, this is the White House. We’d like to invite

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