MLGC Joins Forces to Ensure High-Speed Fiber Broadband to Underserved Areas of North Dakota
Tyler talks about how MLGC began in 1906 as two separate telephone companies and is now the only family-owned telephone company left in the state. His wife's great grandfather was the first employee in 1907, and the family became the sole owners in the 1930's. The company has seen it all, from original telephones to high-speed fiber broadband. Today the company is taking a specific aim at making sure underserved areas (particularly around the Cass County region just south of Fargo) are connected with high-speed broadband.
Tyler says most of North Dakota right now is well served by MLGC and the cooperatives throughout the state, but there are a few areas still underserved. He says the cooperatives and MLGC have worked together really well to address these underserved areas. He says it's really important these businesses and people living in these underserved areas are connected to high-speed internet so they are able to take part in precision-agriculture, and opportunities in education, home healthcare, and telemedicine. Right now, he says these areas don't really have any wireline service or dependable wireless service. Recent grants will help MLGC to build fiber broadband to these areas, which will help the state to become the first in the nation to be completely connected. He says this is great for economics of our small towns and state.
Tyler traces the significance of this technology, tracing its evolution from the early days of copper cables that facilitated telephone services. These copper lines had limitations in terms of the volume and speed of data transmission they could handle. The advent of fiber optics marked a significant leap, offering vastly enhanced data transmission capacities at higher speeds.
In today's world, the use the internet for more things like watching videos and talking to people on video calls, we need even faster speeds and more space to send and receive data. Tyler explains that we need to improve our technology infrastructure to keep up with all the new ways we use the internet now and with what's sure to come.
Tyler talks about how MLGC has received $31 million for connectivity projects. He says right now, the focus will be on getting connectivity to all homes, but another big project that's coming to his territory will be precision-ag. Precision ag will allow farmers to drive a tractor from their kitchen or use drones to spray weeds.
Tyler ends by explaining how MLGC and the cooperatives in the region have been working together to make these projects happen. He says they often collaborate and talk about the challenges in the state with connectivity and how they can work together to get these underserved areas connected.
Citizens of the state of North Dakota have benefitted tremendously.
