Who We Are What We Do &
BAND represents 12 independent cooperatives and 3 privately owned companies serving approximately 140,000 North Dakota residents and businesses and employing over 1,000 to provide broadband Internet – representing nearly $100M in yearly wages. We serve, employ, provide and support North Dakotans with fiber Internet to homes, businesses, farms, schools, hospitals and communities.
For more than half a century we have built and expanded advanced telecommunications networks to the unserved and underserved residents and businesses of North Dakota. Today – the technology demanded by our customers is fiber Internet. Fiber is the only future proof technology capable of providing symmetrical speeds that ensures reliable connectivity for work, education, healthcare, entertainment and everyday life.
BAND’s members increase home values, maintain populations, create economic development opportunities and enhance the quality of life in North Dakota. BAND members have invested more than $1.5 billion in recent years to maintain and expand fiber connectivity.
BAND has represented the interests of rural broadband, voice and video service providers in North Dakota since 1953 and its members maintain approximately 73,000 miles of fiber.
2025 BAND Directors
Jay Seibel President West River Telecommunications jays@wrtc.com
Stanley Vangsness 1st Vice President SRT Communications boardsv@srt.com
Lori Dahl Secretary/Treasurer NDTC ldahl@polartel.coop
Ralph Neu DRN rdsjneu@drtel.net
Brian Udby Polar Communications budby@polartel.coop
Deidre Kilde 2nd Vice President MLGC dkilde@mlgc.email
Shane Morris BEK Communications shane.morris@bektel.coop
Kathy McCracken Dakota Central Telecommunications mccracken@daktel.com
Tim Viland Red River Communications timv@redrivercomm.com
Leslie Grubb Northwest Communications lgncc@nccray.com
Steve Bjornstad United Communications stevebjorn2125@gmail.com
Jennifer Sorenson RTC Networks jennifers@restel.com
Scott Bachmeier Consolidated Telcom scott@ndsupernet.com
We’ve been delivering on our mission since 1996 and the best fiber optic provider in North Dakota – DCN – just keeps getting better.
Dakota Carrier Network is a unique partnership between its 13 owner companies – independent rural broadband service providers across North Dakota. The partnership continues to grow as DCN works to provide businesses, government and other communications companies reliable, scalable and secure technology solutions.
DCN offers a variety of services including carrier Ethernet, cloud services, co-location/data center, cybersecurity solutions, data storage and recovery, dedicated internet access, and wavelength services. Together, DCN and its owners serve customers in nearly 400 communities, and with more than 70,000 miles of fiber optic cable in service, North Dakotans can count on them for reliable, fast internet.
North Dakota has been honored by several publications and organizations as having one of the best data networks in the United States. We are proud to say that North Dakota has deployed our network to bring gigabit network technologies to every school district and government body in the state.
Seth Arndorfer CEO
BEK Communications Cooperative
Established in 1952 and headquartered in Steele, BEK delivers cutting-edge fiber-based services, including broadband, voice, IP television, cloud-based business communications and surveillance. It also provides healthcare solutions to facilities across the Dakotas and western Minnesota, and it’s a state leader in cybersecurity. BEK TV, the nation’s only uncensored and unscripted network, broadcasts statewide via major cable providers, Dish Network, DirecTV, and globally through BEK TV+. In 2024, BEK was recognized as the NTCA Cyber Champion and NDTech’s Technology Champion. It also earned three Eric Sevareid Awards for broadcast excellence, Best Local Television Station recognition, and Best Local TV Personality – Lori Hinz.
Consolidated Telcom
Since 1961, Consolidated has served the people of southwestern North Dakota. In 2005, Consolidated took on the very ambitious goal of serving all cooperative customers with fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) infrastructure. Today Consolidated is 100% FTTH in all its cooperative exchanges. Consolidated is nearing completion of the same 100% FTTH goal in the Dickinson and Belfield exchanges. Multi-Gig services are to be introduced in 2025.
Dakota Central
As one of the first cooperatives to deploy fiber optic technology in and offer broadband services in North Dakota, Dakota Central’s 100% Fiber-to-theHome Network has facilitated significant growth in its service area. Keeping true to its mission of providing progressive, quality communications services, Dakota Central now provides Internet speeds up to 10 Gbps along with Cloud Voice Service, Television, Professional Surveillance Systems and serves over 9,000 customers in central North Dakota.
DRN (Dickey Rural Networks)
In 2025, DRN is celebrating 75 years of providing telecommunication services, empowering lives and connecting members. Founded in 1950, DRN was created to bring telephone service to rural southeastern North Dakota. We began our first FTTH project in 2004 (completed in 2012) and are proud to provide 100% FTTH service through our service area consisting of 32 exchanges in seven North Dakota counties and two South Dakota counties. In 2021, we celebrated the grand opening of our Casselton office as a part of our strategic plan to expand into eastern North Dakota, where today we service Casselton, Horace and Mapleton with gigabit broadband.
Manager
Halstad Telephone Company (HTC), headquartered in Halstad, Minnesota, began operations in 1904 and has grown to serve members and customers throughout the Red River Valley of Minnesota and North Dakota. HTC provides broadband services, telephone, and cable TV to more than 2,800 residents and businesses through reliable fiber-to-thepremises (FTTP). HTC is the provider of choice in the areas it serves. HTC has also partnered with R&J Broadcasting, Inc. to stream local events from more than 16 schools, including the Fargo-Moorhead metro area through the YourLiveEvent YouTube channel.
2025 BAND Member Broadband Service Areas
Note: areas with cross hatching denote either planned fiber installations or those currently undergoing fiber deployment.
MLGC
Our story begins in 1906 and as a fourth-generation, family-owned company, we are proud to deliver ultra-high-speed broadband services. In 2009, we began converting our customers from copper to fiber and we are now a 100% fiber optic network that enables speeds up to 5 Gbps! Our most recent ventures include providing fiber optic service to the rural areas of Horace, South Fargo, Kindred, Davenport, Mapleton and Hickson.
NDTC
NDTC, headquartered in Devils Lake, began operation in 1993. Owned by a consortium of three cooperatives (United Communications, Dakota Central and Polar Communications), NDTC provides advanced communications services to customers in northeastern North Dakota. In 2006, we began offering fiber-to-the-premise (FTTP) and in 2018 we were recognized as a Smart Rural Community Gig-Certified provider. NDTC currently offers speeds up to 10 Gbps.
Northwest Communications Cooperative
Founded in 1951, NCC was established with a clear mission: to bring premier telecommunication services to homes and businesses in northwest North Dakota. Over the past decade, we have made substantial investments in cutting-edge broadband infrastructure, ensuring network reliability and redundancy for our valued customers. At NCC, we understand the importance of being an integral part of the communities we serve. That’s why we take pride in sponsoring community and school events that enrich the lives of residents. Visit nccray.com for more information.
Polar Communications Cooperative
Polar Communications was founded in 1952 with a core mission: to be an innovative industry leader that meets the evolving needs of our customers by developing the necessary technology and tools. Today, decades later, that mission continues to guide us as we serve more than 8,000 subscribers in North Dakota and Minnesota. Our fiber optic network allows us to provide the very best in broadband Internet and voice services at affordable rates. We also provide advanced business services such as phone systems, video surveillance and advanced networking.
Red River Communications
Red River Communications, headquartered in Abercrombie, North Dakota, is a 74-year-old member-owned cooperative dedicated to connecting rural communities with world-class technology. Since its founding in 1951, Red River has delivered reliable, high-speed fiber-optic broadband internet, crystal-clear telephone services, and cutting-edge digital TV, cellular and security camera options to over 5,000 homes, farms, and businesses across eastern North Dakota, and Western Minnesota. Red River also emphasizes local engagement, investing in the communities it serves and supporting initiatives that enrich rural life. For more information, visit www.redrivercomm.com.
Company also operates outside of North Dakota. These statistics are for North Dakota only.
RTC Networks
Since its establishment in 1951, RTC Networks has remained dedicated to its mission of providing cutting-edge telecommunication services to rural communities. As a cooperative serving over an 8,900 square mile area in western North Dakota, RTC Networks has become a cornerstone of connectivity in the region. Leveraging its resilient and redundant fiberoptic infrastructure, RTC Networks provides internet speeds of up to 10 Gig, exceeding the national benchmark for broadband performance. In addition to high-speed internet, RTC Networks offers services including phone, TV, surveillance cameras, and tailored business solutions, catering to the diverse needs of its community.
* Company also operates outside of North Dakota. These statistics are for North Dakota only.
SRT Communications
As North Dakota’s largest telecommunications cooperative, SRT Communications has been connecting communities across north-central North Dakota since 1951. We completed our rural fiber build and will complete our fiber network for the city of Minot in early 2025. Our network fuels complex critical infrastructure for a regional hospital, a university, intermodal service, state and local governments, financial institutions, and the U.S. Air Force.
United Communications
Since our establishment as the United Telephone Mutual Aid Cooperative in 1952, United & Turtle Mountain Communications has been dedicated to connecting communities across rural North Dakota. Over the decades, we’ve expanded our reach and services, transforming into a telecommunications leader in the region. We proudly serve our communities with fiber to the home, enabling customers the ability to have speeds up to 10 Gbps.
West River Telecom
West River Telecom (WRT) provides a 100% fiber network to members across 23 exchanges in North Dakota and 2 exchanges in South Dakota. We currently offer symmetrical broadband Internet speeds up to 10 Gbps, as well as quality voice & security camera services. The local cooperative was formed in 1952 by a grassroots effort and has focused on giving back to its members and local communities ever since.
Company also operates outside of North Dakota. These statistics are for North Dakota only.
Carissa Swenson
BAND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
cswenson@broadbandnd.com linkedin.com/in/carissaswenson/ twitter.com/cariswen 701-663-1099
Carissa Swenson is the Executive Director of BAND. She leads the organization in its ongoing mission to represent the interests of North Dakota’s rural broadband and telecommunications carriers. She is passionate about telling the stories of how North Dakotans help lead the nation in high-speed Internet access. Carissa has spent most of her life living and working in rural America. She has a deep understanding and appreciation of the value of connectivity in rural communities. Contact her directly to learn more about the Broadband Association of North Dakota and its members.
The Broadband Association of North Dakota (BAND) is a non-profit trade association representing the interests of cooperatives and small commercial telecom companies in North Dakota. Together, BAND and our 16 member organizations are ensuring North Dakota remains the most connected state in the United States.
