March 2021 Newsletter

connections

connections CEO’S MESSAGE

MARCH 2021

LOOKING BACK ON 2020 A YEAR WE WON’T SOON FORGET

Seth Arndorfer, CEO

As CEO of DCN, my job is kind of like a fortune teller: I’m always trying to look into the future to do what is best for DCN, our Owners, and our customers. Of course, no one could have predicted the chaos of 2020 but, as “Looking Back on 2020” shows, we were able to respond and adapt in ways that make me incredibly proud. It was also gratifying to see the statewide and even national spotlight shine on the level of connectivity in North Dakota and the work of our Owners and DCN in response to the pandemic keeping kids connected and businesses running. But this is no time to be complacent. Technology doesn’t stand still, even in a pandemic, and neither can we.

One tool in my crystal ball toolbox is being part of the connectivity conversation on a national level with organizations that work on behalf of those in rural America. Being a member of the FCC Precision Ag Task Force and INDATEL board of managers, I have the opportunity to advocate for North Dakota and help our customers take advantage of the advancements being made and technologies being developed.

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We all had high hopes for 2020.

After all, 20/20 vision is perfect so why would the year be anything else? It certainly wasn’t what anyone expected – or anywhere near perfect – but it was one we won’t soon forget!

of DCN and our Owners’ technicians as being essential workers, but the pandemic made it readily apparent they are definitely in that category.

While we were helping our business customers increase their bandwidth so their employees could work remotely, we were also working with our Owners, the Office of the Governor, Department of Public Instruction, and North Dakota Information Technology to make sure rural kids

Thank you to all essential workers!

Let’s begin by looking back at the thing that took over almost every aspect of our lives: COVID-19. In March, we were all blindsided when it seemed that North Dakota was sent home for work and school.

Previously, you may not have thought

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THANK YOU AND BEST WISHES, JEFF! This past summer, Jeff Olson of Red River Communications was recognized for his two years of service as DCN’s board chairman. He also retired as general manager/CEO of Red River Communications after leading the organization for nearly 18 years.

Jeff Olson (left) received a plaque of appreciation

from DCN CEO Seth Arndorfer (right).

“Jeff has provided leadership not only for Red River and DCN, but on regional and national levels,” said Seth Arndorfer, DCN CEO. “We appreciate Jeff’s strong voice for rural broadband!”

Ryan Wilhelmi

Tom Steinolfson

Ryan Wilhelmi, general manager/CEO of Midstate Telephone, succeeded Jeff as board chairman. In March, Tom Steinolfson was named the new general manager/CEO of Red River and joined the DCN board. www.DakotaCarrier.com

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DCN and members of BAND (Broadband Association of North Dakota) have worked hard to make our state a leader in rural broadband connectivity and we need to work equally hard to keep it that way!

DCN saw our customers internet usage grow by over 40 percent in 2020 and we will continue to invest in North Dakota’s connectivity infrastructure. In 2020, DCN spent significant time and resources on fiber as well as purchasing spectrum for 5G. Both of these investments are vital in providing a top-notch user experience every time.

Sometimes it seems like DCN always has a construction project going on.

2021 will be no different as we’ve started construction to fit up another co-location room in Fargo. We’re excited about this because it will allow more efficient and effective cooling of the room and make it easier for you to grow your space when needed. I should add that we will be able to do this without any anticipated downtime!

As I look to this year, one thing is certain: we will be celebrating! 2021 marks the 25th anniversary of Dakota Carrier Network. This is a major milestone in any business, but particularly in the broadband industry.

While the term “internet” was first used in the 1970s, typically the 2000s are heralded as the start of the broadband industry. The formation of DCN in 1997 once again shows the vision and foresight of our Owners to keep their customers and our state connected.

We have a lot to be grateful for and a lot to look forward to, and we look forward to doing that with you.

LOOKING BACK ON 2020 A YEAR WE WON’T SOON FORGET CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

were connected for learning from home. In just three weeks, 99.8 percent of North Dakota’s K-12 students were connected and DCN increased customer bandwidth by 40 percent. This would make us proud under normal circumstances, but this time our team pulled off some Herculean tasks while their own families were dealing with the pandemic: spouses’ work disrupted, their own kids learning at home, and family members (and themselves) getting sick or in quarantine due to close contact with COVID-19. Demand skyrocketed and challenges came from every direction, and our team rose to the challenge!

1,476 nominations by employees and the 50 recipients were recognized in the September issue of the magazine. We’ve always thought DCN was a great place to work, but this year it was particularly gratifying to receive the recognition.

If you haven’t had a chance to visit a DCN office lately, when you do, you will notice that our Bismarck and Fargo facilities are locked 24/7.

For those with credentials, badges can still be scanned for 24/7 entry; for those without credentials, during office hours (Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.) guests In the midst of all this, the DCN enter a vestibule, ring the bell, team continued to represent North and a DCN representative allows Dakota and rural interests on access. Guests continue as usual regional and national levels ranging to register and get a visitor badge. from the Federal Communications This enhanced security protocol Commission to the Western allows us Governors’ to fully Association, control INDATEL to access InfraGard to DCN North Dakota. facilities We even and managed provides to squeeze even in a couple greater opportunities security to work with DCN Ethernet/IP Engineer Tim Paulson gave 6th-9th for your school-age grade STEM students a close-up look at the fiber that keeps us connected. equipment students and data. interested in STEM careers.

Was 2020 what we expected?

Certainly not! But it was a year that After an intense spring and we can be proud of, knowing we summer, we were excited to be played an integral part in helping an honoree for the 2020 Prairie keep North Dakota businesses Business magazine 50 Best running and students learning.

Places to Work. DCN was among

LANDMARK ANNIVERSARIES IN 2020 THANK YOU FOR YOUR DEDICATED SERVICE! In 2020, we celebrated a combined total of 315 years of service at DCN! That included seven milestone anniversaries: •

Five years – Isabel DeWitt, web application developer; Michael Mack, outside plant/project manager; Tara Taylor, application administrator

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10 years – Mitchell Schaff, operations systems support specialist; Jeff Torkelson, sales support representative

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15 years – Jim Swenson, network design specialist

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20 years – Jesse Heck, director of operations; Gregg Retzer, NOC manager

5 YEARS OF SERVICE

Above: Isabel DeWitt, Michael Mack At Left: Tara Taylor

“DCN is blessed with loyal, dedicated team members and in 2020 we celebrated a lot of miletsone anniversaries,” said DCN CEO Seth Arndorfer. “The contributions these people make to ensure DCN maintains the highest level of reliability and responsiveness for our customers is apparent every day. We are lucky to have Isabel, Mike, Tara, Mitchell, Jeff, Jim, Jesse, and Gregg on our team.”

10 YEARS OF SERVICE

15 YEARS OF SERVICE

20 YEARS OF SERVICE

L to R: Mitchell Schaff, Jeff Torkelson

Jim Swenson

L to R: Jesse Heck, Gregg Retzer

RECEIVING, SHIPPING, & STORAGE UPDATE DON’T LET YOUR SHIPMENTS BE REFUSED For the safety and security of customer equipment and DCN facilities, we periodically review our policies and procedures for facility use.

Please remember that updates to the Receiving, Shipping & Storage section of the Facility User Guide took effect the first of the year.

The guide can be found on our website and the updates are on pages 17-19. For security reasons, any shipment that does not follow this process will be refused.

If there are questions about requirements or specifications, please contact DCN Inventory Controller Steve Schmit at shipping@dakotacarrier.com or 701-323-3027. (His contact information is also in the guide.)

The 2021 DCN Policies & Procedures Facility User Guide can be found on the website, dakotacarrier.com, under Services > Co-Location/Data Center.

connections WELCOME TO DCN!

CONGRATULATIONS APARNA!

OUR TEAM GREW IN 2020 In 2020, DCN grew by five employees – the most in a single year since 1998!

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January: Ross Branstner, outside plant technician, Fargo

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April: Wendy Schweitzer, marketing manager, Bismarck

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May: Troy Walker, director of sales and marketing, Bismarck

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October: Valerie Schwantes, commercial account executive, Fargo

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November: Logan Forseth, sales support representative, Fargo

In December 2020, DCN Systems Engineer Aparna Subramanian was recognized by Prairie Business magazine as a 40 Under 40 honoree.

This list profiles young professionals in North Dakota, South Dakota, and western Minnesota, all under the age of 40. These inspiring and dedicated professionals come from a wide range of industries and have made significant impacts in their chosen professions and communities.

Aparna is driven to provide DCN’s Owners and customers the best products and service, and we are proud that she lives out our values of responsiveness, reliability, and dedication to long-term relationships.

Thank you, Aparna, for your commitment to excellence and congratulations for being named to this prestigious list!

Ross Branstner

Wendy Schweitzer

Troy Walker

Valerie Schwantes

Logan Forseth

Aparna Subramanian

RELIABLE CONNECTIVITY, A RESPONSIVE TEAM, AND A PARTNER YOUR BUSINESS CAN TRUST. A core value at DCN is a commitment to long-term relationships. Being partners allows us to work together to match your unique needs with the right DCN tools and services for your business.

Planning for expanded services? We’re here for you!

Visit our website dakotacarrier.com or – better yet – contact your account executive to get started.

Together we will help your business thrive.

With more than 42,000 miles of fiber across the state, DCN and its 14 owner companies operate North Dakota’s most robust fiber optic network.

DIVERSE DATA CENTERS I CLOUD COMPUTING DEDICATED INTERNET I DISASTER RECOVERY SECURITY SERVICES I SD-WAN

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