Welcome to the North Dakota Association of Telephone Cooperative's website.  The Association represents members of North Dakota's independent telephone industry.

     Telecommunications is perhaps the most exciting, dynamic industry in the world today.  It will be the foundation of information-based economies in the 21st century, remove physical isolation as a barrier to knowledge and bring new efficiencies to business and education.  While the possibilities are endless, being on the wrong side of the "Digital Divide" or not having access to a state-of-the-art network carries severe penalties.  Those that have access to the best telephone service, information technology services and fastest Internet service will have a insurmountable advantage in the fields of training, business, education and communications.

     The North Dakota independent telephone industry is working tirelessly to ensure that our residents have access to the information-technologies that allow them to compete with anyone in the world and a telecommunications network that is second-to-none.

      Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent in rural North Dakota installing digital switching, laying fiber optics to every central office in the state and beyond and reconfiguring local networks to bring Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) and other high-speed services to residents in the smallest communitites.  Over $115 million has been spent in the last three years just upgrading these facilities.

     In fact, the men and women working in rural North Dakota's telephone industry represent one of the brightest stars in the state's economy.   Rural telephone companies employ over 850 people and provide some of the highest paying jobs, while pumping over $30 million in wages alone into these rural communities each year.

     These rural telephone companies have a wonderful story to tell.   A common misperception is that because they are rural companies they are somehow inferior in their service, perspective or technology.  To the contrary, these companies and the men and women who are responsible for their operations are among the most progressive, determined and dedicated to the prosperity of their members and subscribers of any telecommunications providers in the world.

     In addition to local service, independent telephone companies in the state provide Internet services, direct broadcast satellite, cable television, long distance services, wireless services, a statewide backbone network and are frequently the financing and expertise for economic development within their communities.  Each and everyone of these companies realized the potential early on of the Internet and committed to local dial-up access so that each of their subscribers could receive those services toll-free, regardless of where they lived.

     It was this same commitment to the people of North Dakota that led the independent telephone companies to create The Dakota Carrier Network, a high-speed, large-capacity backbone network that ensures rural North Dakotan's the most modern technology in accessing the information superhighways of today and in the future.

     The independent industry is making a similar commitment with their deployment of broadband services.  North Dakota's vast distances, high-cost and low-density per square mile make it extremely expensive to serve and introduce high-speed technologies.  Virtually every independent telephone company in the state has deployed broadband service within their service territory and continue to rebuild their networks to take that service further and further beyond the central office.   Sometimes it takes innovative approaches--at least one of the telephone cooperatives is offering wireless internet through their MMDS system.

     Bringing the most modern telecommunications services to North Dakotans is not easy and it is not inexpensive.  In fact, providing world-class technology to rural residents in the Great Plains makes a horrible "business case", but, more importantly, it is the right thing to do.  The North Dakota independent telephone industry in the state will continue to do the right thing.   They know that investing in technology and in their communities and in their subscribers is the only way to make sure that we all do not end up on the wrong side of the Digital Divide.