The Cooperative Difference.
Shared Success. Connected Communities.
The Cooperative Advantage.
Fundamentally Different.
As a member-owned telecommunications cooperative, we’re fundamentally different from large national providers. Our decisions are made locally—by people who live and work in the communities we serve.
Revenue stays here, supporting local jobs, essential services, and ongoing investment in our network. Our services are built with members in mind, prioritizing long-term reliability, value, and community impact. When our communities thrive, we all succeed.
We serve members—not shareholders—and are guided by cooperative principles that put people, service, and community before profit. That’s the cooperative difference, and it’s been working for generations.
What it Means to Be a Cooperative.
Our Cooperative is Founded on Time-Tested Principles
that Guide Our Decisions Every Day.
Member Ownership – Our members are the owners of the cooperative.
Democratic Control – Members elect a local Board of Directors from within the community.
Member Economic Participation – Margins earned are returned to members, not outside investors.
Autonomy & Independence – We are a locally controlled organization, governed by our members and Board, and free from outside ownership or influence.
Education, Training & Information – We educate members, directors, and employees, and inform our communities about cooperative benefits and services.
Cooperation Among Cooperatives – We collaborate with other cooperatives to strengthen rural networks and better serve members through shared resources.
Commitment to Community – We invest in rural connectivity, local jobs, and community growth through reliable, innovative, long-term stewardship.
Cooperative Membership.
Individuals and Business.
Membership is open to both individuals and businesses who subscribe to our fiber services (Internet, tv, voice/phone) allowing members to share in the benefits of cooperative ownership.
Being a member of our cooperative means:
- You have a voice in how the cooperative is governed
- You share in the financial success of the organization
- You help strengthen rural connectivity and local communities
When you do business with our cooperative, you’re not just paying a bill — you’re investing in a locally owned organization that gives back to the people who make it possible.
Patronage and Capital Credits.
How Members Benefit.
As a cooperative, we operate at cost. When revenues exceed expenses, the margins are allocated back to members based on their use of cooperative services. These allocations are called capital credits or patronage.
Here’s how it works:
- Members use our services.
- Excess revenue is assigned to members as capital credits.
- Over time, those capital credits are returned to members as cash or bill credits, based on the financial health of the cooperative.
Since 2000, we’ve proudly returned over $6.2 Million to members, demonstrating the lasting benefits of local, cooperative ownership.
