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RTC NETWORKS BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
TRIGEN AG PARTNERS Page 6
EDUCATION IS THE BEST DEFENSE
SCROLL, STREAM, AND SHOP SAFELY WITH SUPPORT FROM RTC NETWORKS Page 9
CRYPTOCURRENCY 101 A TECH TIP FROM YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD TECH EXPERT
Summer 2022
A MESSAGE FROM OUR
GENERAL MANAGER send reports on these threats directly to the palm of your hand. Learn more about internet security and ProtectIQ on page 6 of this newsletter.
RTC NETWORKS COMMUNICATOR
If you have any outdoor projects to tackle before temperatures start to fall,
24 Main Street North, PO Box 68,
please remember to call before you
Parshall, ND 58770
dig. Whether you are building a deck or
www.myRTCNetworks.com, info@myRTCNetworks.com
planting a tree, you must contact One
Customer Service: 0811 (within RTC exchanges) or 701.862.3115 Repair Service: 0611 (within RTC exchanges) or 800.822.3311 24/7 Help Desk: 0211 (within RTC exchanges) or 800.497.2151 Headquarters: 24 Main St N Parshall, ND 58770 New Town Office: 202 College Drive New Town, ND 58763 Stanley Office: 215 Main St S, Stanley, ND 58784 Watford City Office: 701 14th St SW Watford City, ND 58854
Business Office: 0811 (Toll-free within RTC Exchanges) 701.862.3115
Somehow, we have already reached the final weeks of summer. I hope that you have spent the season relaxing with friends and family, exploring the great outdoors, and enjoying the warmth while we have it.
Fax: 701.862.3008
Call at least 48 hours prior to digging. Utility companies will then mark the location of their underground lines to
We come one step closer to realizing our goal of connecting the West to the world.
Email: info@myRTCNetworks.com
RTC Networks has been busy with
Publication Contact:
several fiber build-outs across our
help protect you from damaging them.
service territory this summer. With each
If you are within RTC Networks’ service
new community that we successfully
area in North Dakota, you can reach
equip with fiber, we come one
North Dakota One Call by dialing 811 on
step closer to realizing our goal of
your landline telephone or 1-800-795-
connecting the West to the world. More
0555. You can also submit your request
of our communities are connected to
at www.ndonecall.com by clicking on
high-speed fiber-optic internet than
the “Homeowners” tab. Montana One
ever before; it’s important that we all
Call can be reached at 1-800-551-8344
use that connection wisely.
or www.mt1call.com.
I am excited to share that we are now
Dig safely, and enjoy the rest of your
including the myRTCnet app’s ProtectIQ
summer.
Shannon Stafslien, Marketing Manager
CEO/General Manager: Shane D. Hart
Directors & Officers: Jeanette Hoff, President Wayne Skarda, Vice President Jennifer Sorenson, Secretary/Treasurer Jared Eagle, Director Terry Wilber, Director Amy Ones, Director Barbara Steinmetz, Director John McElwain, Director Alicia Brenna, Attorney RTC Networks is an equal opportunity employer and provider. Copyright© 2022 by RTC (Reservation Telephone Cooperative) and Tellwell.
feature free of charge for all internet subscribers. ProtectIQ can guard your home network against web threats, malware, intrusions, and viruses, and
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Shane Hart Shane Hart, CEO/GM
Photographed left to right: Dennis Krueger, John McElwain, Trevor Kohler, Randy Henne, Wayne Olson, Kevin Johnson, Tyler Stafslien, Rick Talbot
RTC NETWORKS
SPOTLIGHT
TRIGEN AG PARTNERS
With high-speed internet from RTC Networks, TriGen is transforming the way that elevators operate. In 1915, there were approximately 2,000 grain elevators in North Dakota. By 2015, there were fewer than 400. These facilities have played a pivotal role in building North Dakota’s economy and establishing the state as a leader in the production of crops such as wheat, barley, and flax. While the total number of grain elevators across North Dakota has continued to fall year after year, many–including the Max Farmers Elevator and Plaza-Makoti Equity Elevator– are still operational more than a century later.
Now, with high-speed internet from RTC Networks and a new mobile app, TriGen Ag Partners is transforming the way elevators operate. TriGen Ag Partners was formed in August 2020, when the Max Farmers Elevator and Plaza-Makoti Equity Elevator merged and joined forces with Minneapolis-based Agrex, Inc. The “Tri” in the company’s name represents the three communities the elevators serve, as well as the three companies that have combined assets and capital to form TriGen. “Gen” is an homage to the generations of producers who have built North Dakota’s agricultural economy, as well as the many generations yet to come. 3
Rick Talbott, who had been with the Max Farmers Elevator
Along with merging the Max and Plaza-Makoti elevators,
since 2005 and served as General Manager since 2014,
TriGen Ag Partners also broke ground on a new facility in
helped oversee the formation of TriGen.
Ryder in the summer of 2020. The new shuttle grain terminal consists of 1.050 million storage capacity and more than
“We really enjoy helping the producers get the crop planted and
10,000 feet of track.
harvested,” Talbott said. “We offer a number of services to help with both, from custom application to seed and chemical sales,
The agriculture industry has changed drastically since the early
along with various contracts to help them market the grain.”
20th century. To continue meeting the needs of producers and consumers alike, grain elevators have to change, too. With a new mobile app, created by Fargo-based software developer Bushel, TriGen Ag Partners is making it easier than ever for elevators to communicate with the growers they serve. Within the app, growers are able to see cash bids in real-time, track and review contracts, and view scale tickets almost immediately after a load is delivered at any one of TriGen’s facilities. The app also has an “Offer” function, which allows growers to put in orders for the grain they wish to sell at any time of day. TriGen Ag Partners is utilizing technology to ensure that North Dakota’s legacy as a global ag leader can endure for
RTC Networks' commitment to rural North Dakota, and the fiber upgrades they have made to their network, have made this possible for the communities we serve.
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generations to come–and that technology is powered by fiber internet from RTC Networks. “It is important to have high-speed internet to connect all of our facilities in different cities,” Talbott said. "RTC Networks' commitment to rural North Dakota, and the fiber upgrades they have made to their network, have made this possible for the communities we serve." To discover how RTC Networks can support your local
TriGen Ag Partners is making it easier than ever for elevators to communicate with the growers they serve.
business, visit myRTCNetworks.com or call 701-862-3115 today.
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Education is the Best Defense SCROLL, STREAM, AND SHOP SAFELY WITH SUPPORT FROM RTC NETWORKS From the cell phones we use to communicate to the smart televisions we use to stream, we are all more connected to the internet than ever before. And while these devices can make our lives easier and more entertaining, they can also make us more vulnerable to cyberattacks. Ransomware and other threats are continuing to rise for both business and residential internet users. Security attacks increased 31 percent from
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Use Strong Passwords (And Don’t Reuse Them) It may be tempting to reuse a password like “abc1234” across all of your accounts, but each time you recycle a password, you make yourself more susceptible to attacks. To protect yourself and your information, it is important to use passwords that are long, complex, and unique and change them at least once per year. If you are worried about remembering all of your passwords, don’t write them down on a piece of paper that anyone could find—use a secure password manager, like Lastpass, which allows you to store all your valuable password information in one place.
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2020 to 2021, according to Accenture’s “State of Cybersecurity Resilience 2021” report. Every person or business who uses the internet must take steps to ensure that their devices and data are safe. RTC Networks’ Network Manager, Dan Schilla, said it best: “Defense wins games, and education is the best defense against cybercriminals.” Here are a few simple steps that every individual can take to protect their network against cybercriminals:
Stop Snoozing Device Updates Device update notifications may be annoying, but they are also essential to maintaining your device’s security. Regularly installing crucial updates will protect your laptop, phone, and other devices from the latest threats, so when you get that notification, don’t ignore it–update your device right away.
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TEP 3 2
4
et’s Get Started
lick Look on the Out “Let’s for FakeGet LinksStarted” utton to get started on your ay to managing your network nd devices. Over 84 percent of all cyber attacks were distributed via email in 2021–a 20 percent increase from 2019. Protect yourself by
recognizing phishing emails, which are sent to trick people into
clicking on a dangerous link. If you click on the link, ransomware can be downloaded onto your device, freezing systems and
holding them hostage until money is paid to unlock the system. This simple action can carry serious and costly consequences. Never click any links if you aren’t sure if the email is legitimate. On a Mac, you can hover over a link to see what the link address is. You can also right click on the link and select “Copy Link Address.” Paste this address into a word or text document to see if it looks fake. Rule of thumb: if you don’t recognize the link, don’t click it. You don’t have to fight the battle against cybercriminals alone; RTC Networks is here to help. We have taken several precautions to ensure that every user who connects to the internet can do so safely. Moving to a redundant, 100 percent fiber-optic network is just
Defend Your Devices with ProtectIQ You put locks on your doors to protect your family and belongings. Why not take the same precautions with your network? The ProtectIQ home network cyber security tool helps you keep a lock on your network and alerts you when
one way that RTC Networks is working to keep our users safe.
any unwanted visitors try to enter. The tool, created by
Hackers have become more and more innovative over the
Calix, Inc., allows broadband service providers like RTC
years, making it easy to compromise traditional cable internet
Networks to stop web threats, intrusions, malware, and
TEP 4
New to myRTCnet? Tap “Sign Up” connections through cable tapping or other relatively simple
methods. Because fiber networks don’t radiate signals, they are significantly more difficult to hack into.
We also utilize security tools to keep our network safe. A
distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack is a form of cyber
attack that aims to disrupt the normal traffic of a server, service,
you are new to myRTCnet ou will need to create an ccount and set up your system
viruses from entering home networks. ProtectIQ won the Cyber Defense Magazine 2022 Global InfoSec Award for Best in Anti-Phishing, Network Security, and Management, and now RTC Networks is making it more accessible than ever before. We are now including the myRTCnet app’s ProtectIQ feature free of charge for all internet subscribers. Not all homes
or network by flooding it with internet traffic. RTC Networks
have the equipment required for this function, but RTC
protects our customers from DDoS attacks using a tool that
Networks will work with you to get the tools you need.
senses abnormal traffic going to or from a single IP address. We
will then block that traffic so the attack cannot successfully bring down your network.
Contact RTC Networks today to start scrolling, streaming, and shopping more safely with ProtectIQ!
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APPLE APP STORE
EXPERIENCE THE
FUTURE OF INTERNET Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC.
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GOOGLE PLAY STORE
Manage your Wi-Fi network from the palm of your hand with myRTCnet. The myRTCnet app is FREE for all RTC Networks internet customers and gives you an instant snapshot of your home or small business network. ProtectIQ provides network security and protects the devices on your network, and ExperienceIQ gives you total control (including parental controls) for the total Wi-Fi experience!
RTC NETWORKS
TECH TIPS
CRYPTOCURRENCY 101
Cryptocurrency is everywhere these days. You can’t turn on the news or scroll through your Twitter feed without seeing something about Bitcoin or #DogeArmy. If you’re not familiar with the world of crypto, it can leave you with lots of questions, like what is it? How does it work? And should I buy in? Well today you’re in luck, let’s dive in!
So how do they work? Unlike cash that
on peer-to-peer networks and
you carry in your pocket and exchange
cryptocurrency exchanges, such as
for goods and services, cryptocurrency
Coinbase, as well as investing apps
exists as digital entries to an online
like Robinhood. But before you go
database called a blockchain. A
buying into Bitcoin, there are a few
blockchain is an open, distributed
things you should consider. First, do
ledger that records transactions
your research. There are more than
in code. Think of it like a virtual
500 exchanges to choose from, so
checkbook that’s distributed across
read reviews and talk with experienced
millions of computers around the world.
investors before diving in.
Cryptocurrency is a digital currency
but you can work around this by
that uses cryptography to secure and verify transactions, making it virtually impossible to counterfeit. The first and most famous form of cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, emerged in 2008, but today
Everyone who uses a cryptocurrency is given their own copy of this checkbook to create a unified record. Software logs each new transaction in real time, and every copy of the blockchain is updated with the new information.
speculative, be prepared for dramatic ups and downs. While Bitcoin reached a price of over $18,000 per coin in November 2020, it bottomed out at under $5,000 in the same year. If your
Next, how do you use it? You can use
blood pressure or investment portfolio
cryptocurrency just like cash to make
can’t handle the rollercoaster that is
purchases, but it’s not a universally
crypto, you may be better off sticking
accepted form of payment yet. Not
to stocks and bonds.
all businesses accept cryptocurrency, exchanging crypto for gift cards to select retailers and restaurants with services like eGifter. You can also sign up for BitPay, a debit card that converts cryptocurrency into dollars.
We’ve only scratched the surface today, but hopefully with this background knowledge you can decide whether crypto is right for you--or at least understand what people are talking about when they bring up “Bitcoin”!
there are thousands of alternates on the market.
And because crypto is highly
Finally, you can invest in crypto. Cryptocurrency can be purchased
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NEW RTC NETWORKS PHONE LISTINGS Alexander - 828 Brokenspoke LLC.................................(701) 828-3624 Burns, Jerrold......................................(701) 828-3808 Forbes, Jim & TJ..................................(701) 828-3624 Gullikson, James & Diana.................... (701) 828-3247 Horsburgh, Dustin................................(701) 828-3839 Post Office............................................ (701) 828-3457 Roedeske, Erin ....................................(701) 828-3542 Roedeske, Fred & Laurie.....................(701) 828-3729 Yellowstone Station.............................(701) 828-3904 Arnegard - 586 Providence House LLC....................... (701) 586-3300
RTC NETWORKS
HAPPENINGS The following RTC Networks employees have been recognized for their number of years of service to the cooperative as of the year ending in 2021.
1 YEAR
15 YEARS
Keegan Swanson, Technology Specialist
Daniel Leppell, Data Network Tech I
5 YEARS
20 YEARS
Mike Campbell, Technology Specialist
Eric Jaeger, Technology Specialist
Brian Deutsch, Combination Tech
Coordinator
Emmet - 337 Albert, Gayle E..................................... (701) 337-5975 R & D Warehouse .................................(701) 337-5051
Ed Elkins, Utility Tech
Dan Schilla, Network Manager
Garrison - 463 Bittner, Ken & Josie..............................(701) 463-2390
Dar Huus, Marketing Rep
25 YEARS
Erik Linseth, Combination Tech
Brooks Goodall, Chief Operations
Craig Talbott, Cable Locator
Officer/Assistant GM
Mandaree - 759 Conklin, Lana ...................................... (701) 759-3542 MHA Land & Livestock.........................(701) 759-3552 Peterson, Clifford..................................(701) 759-4457 West Segment Cultural........................(701) 759-3552 New Town - 627 Bakken Transload................................. (701)627-3573 North Segment Property Management Security........... (701) 627-3498 Parshall - 862 Loock, Bob...........................................(701) 862-3989 Neshem, Don........................................(701) 862-1074 Sundsbak, Mike.....................................(701) 862-1110 Superbloom Floral............................... (701) 862-3367 White Mountain, Alexis........................(701) 862-2263
Brock Lynne, Accounting Specialist III
Dave Fransen, Utility Tech
10 YEARS
Ken Ross, Cable Locator
Bernie Howell, CSR II Payton Two Crow, Utility Tech Daryl Johnson, Technology Specialist Amy Keeling, Data Network Tech I
Sept 5
Alex Quale, Data Network Tech I
Labor Day
Jeff Shobe, Combination Tech
RTC Networks Closed
Plaza - 497 Ringoen, Todd & Stacey...................... (701) 497-3456 Roseglen - 743 Elbowoods Memorial Healthcare........ (701) 743-4800 Ralph Wells Community Center - Fax...(701) 743-4799 White Shield Sports Complex............... (701) 743-4712 Watford City - 842 Anderson, Sarah.................................. (701) 444-4896 Campbell, William & Donna................. (701) 444-5287 Hughes, David......................................(701) 444-4887 Jacey Wilson State Farm......................(701) 444-3274 Jacey Wilson State Farm - Fax.............(701) 444-2310 Twist 2.0............................................... (701) 444-3986
2023 PHOTO CONTEST Deadline to submit photos:
September 1, 2022
Sept 6
Return to Normal Business Hours 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Submit your name, RTC Networks account number, and up to 10 highdef pictures to rtcteam@rtc.email.
Oct 1-31
Winners receive a feature in our 2023 Calendar and a $20 bill credit.
Co-op Month
Must be a current RTC Networks
Watch our Facebook page for events and giveaways!
customer.
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NEW POSITIONS
Rodney Bennett Combination Tech
Brenda Brown CSR II - Provisioning
Vanessa Clemmensen Network Tech I
Craig Talbott Cable Locator
Payton Two Crow Utility Tech
NEW EMPLOYEES
Conner Borud Combination Tech
Madison Brown CSR II - Provisioning
Justin Engg Utility Tech
Kaleb Fowler Combination Tech
Ciara Mercado CSR I
Tibbs Moore Combination Tech
CALL BEFORE YOU DIG! Whether you're building a deck, planting a tree or installing a mailbox, you MUST call One Call 48 hours prior to digging. Utility companies will then mark the location of their underground lines to help protect you from damaging them. If you are within RTC Networks service area, you can reach North Dakota One Call by dialing 811 on your landline telephone or 1.800.795.0555. You can also submit your request at www.ndonecall.com, and click on
Joshua Rockeman Cable Locator
Pat Staples
Grounds/Building Maintenance Tech
Homeowners. You can reach Montana One Call at 1.800.551.8344 or http://www.mt1call.com/
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24 Main Street North, PO Box 68, Parshall, ND 58770 myRTCNetworks.com info@myRTCNetworks.com facebook.com/RTC.coop Customer Service: 0811 (within RTC exchanges) or 701.862.3115 Repair Service: 0611 (within RTC exchanges) or 800.822.3311 24/7 Help Desk: 0211 (within RTC exchanges) or 800.497.2151 Headquarters: 24 Main St N • Parshall, ND 58770 New Town Office: 202 College Drive • New Town, ND 58763 Stanley Office: 215 S Main St • Stanley, ND 58784 Watford City Office: 701 14th St SW • Watford City, ND 58854
READERS
Contest
Congratulations to these Spring 2022 Communicator Readers’ Contest winners. They will receive a $20 credit on their RTC Networks bill.
NAME
Glenn Helling
Ilene Hoff
Darryl Revier
Russell L. Skadberg
Alexander Exchange
Emmet Exchange
Kenmare Exchange
Steve L. Meyer
Watford City Exchange
Watford City Exchange
PHONE
1. What is now free of charge for all RTC Networks internet subscribers? For your chance to be entered in the drawing to win a $20 credit on your bill, correctly answer the questions at the right and include with your RTC Networks bill. You can also submit your answers on our website at myRTCNetworks.com/ readerscontest or email your answers to RTCteam@restel.com.
2. How much storage does the new grain terminal provide?
3. Security attacks increased by what percentage from 2020 to 2021, according to Accenture’s “State of Cybersecurity Resilience 2021” report?