fiber-optic

RS Fiber to Host Buffalo Lake Service Sign-up Open House

February 14, 2018 By Dave Dicke •

For Immediate Release 02/14/2018

Buffalo Lake, MN – RS Fiber Cooperative (RS Fiber) will be hosting an open house for the residents of Buffalo Lake who are interested in learning more about signing up for RS Fiber high-speed Internet, Video, and Phone services.

The public is invited to stop by the Buffalo Lake Community Center on February 21, 2018 from 5:30 pm until 7:00 pm to visit with members of the RS Fiber team to learn more about high-speed, fiber-optic Internet, high-definition Video, and crystal-clear Phone services, and to enjoy a free meal catered by Brownton Bar and Grill.

The free meal will include pulled pork sandwiches, potato salad, baked beans, chips, pickles, cookies and a beverage. Buffalo Lake residents who sign up for services is also eligible for the RS Fiber Cornerstone program. Any customer choosing 100 Mbps Internet service will have the option of upgrading to Gigabit speeds with no increase to their monthly bill. Also, learn more about you can get a $50.00 credit towards your new RS Fiber account!

All who attend will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win some great door prizes including a VTech® Cordless Phone, Amazon® Echo Show and at 40-inch Samsung® LED Smart TV. The prize drawing will be held at 6:30 pm. Winners need not be present to win.

RS Fiber Internet, Video, and Phone services will be available in Buffalo Lake by the end of the month. Service will also be available in Stewart soon!

About us: RS Fiber Cooperative is a community driven effort to deliver a high-speed fiber-optic connection to Sibley County and portions of Renville, Nicollet, and McLeod Counties. The project will bring fiber-optic Internet, Video, and Phone services to ten cities and seventeen townships. The RS Fiber mission is: “To provide each and every customer with an exceptional service experience that you can only expect to receive from a local business, while providing you with access to the benefits of the most advanced fiber optic network in the US”.

For additional information, or to schedule an interview, please contact David Dicke at david.dicke@rsfiber.coop or call 507-474-5884.

RS Fiber Brownton Open House a Success

September 1, 2017 By Dave Dicke •

Brownton, MN – Nearly 200 people from the Brownton area turned out for Wednesday night’s RS Fiber open house at Brownton Community Center.

The event gave Brownton residents the opportunity to meet and visit with members of the RS Fiber team about signing up for services.

RS Fiber general manager, Toby Brummer, said these events are always a lot of fun.

“It’s great to be able to meet with all the people and hear the excitement that this project to bring Gigabit Internet to their community is generating. Everyone seems to be looking forward to getting hooked up and begin enjoying the service.”

The high-speed fiber-optic network is being constructed and operated by Winona, MN based Hiawatha Broadband Communications (HBC). HBC CEO/President, Dan Pecarina, says their mission at RS Fiber is to bring the best services possible to customers.

“Whether that is Gigabit service from the fiber optic network in town or broadband wireless to the most rural areas of the townships we serve, we want to deliver the best possible service and hope that we’re also enhancing their lives with the benefits our services offer.”

In addition to a catered meal by Brownton Bar and Grill, those attending were also eligible to win several door prizes, including a Samsung 40-inch LED TV, an Amazon Echo Show, and a cordless phone. Prize winners were: cordless phone – Jim Sikkila; Amazon Echo Show–Nicole Templin; and a Smart TV-Audrey Tongen.

Phase One construction will wrap up this year with services being activated in Fairfax, Stewart, and Buffalo Lake.

RS Fiber Cooperative Celebrates Two Year Anniversary

June 23, 2017 By Dave Dicke •

Winthrop, MN – RS Fiber Cooperative will celebrate its second anniversary next month.

Nearly a decade’s worth of planning became reality on July 8, 2015 when the first few feet of fiber-optic cable was plowed into the ground giving birth to a state-of-the-art communications network. The RS Fiber network now consists of nearly 200 miles of backbone fiber throughout Renville and Sibley counties connecting six member communities.

The all fiber-optic, active Ethernet Gigabit network is being constructed by Hiawatha Broadband Communications, Inc. (HBC) based in Winona, MN. HBC CEO Dan Pecarina said the project’s success is due in part to the enthusiasm for the venture.

“There were a few naysayers at the beginning who said it would be impossible to build this project, but there was also large group of people who really championed the cause and believed that it could happen. The RS Fiber Cooperative Board of Directors should be very proud of what they have achieved.”

RS Fiber General Manager Toby Brummer said the final stage of Phase One construction is underway.

“This summer we will be finishing the Phase One construction. By the end of the year we will be able to offer services to the communities of Brownton, Buffalo Lake, Fairfax, and Stewart.”

Currently six towns and more than 2,500 homes and businesses have access to Gigabit services from RS Fiber. A total of 4,500 homes and businesses will have Gigabit broadband access once the remaining four communities are connected this fall.

Rural areas are receiving broadband service through RS Fiber Air which delivers high-speed broadband to more than 2,000 customers over a network of towers throughout Renville and Sibley counties.

RS Fiber has local offices in Winthrop and Gaylord.

RS Fiber Cooperative Recognized with Broadband Communities “Cornerstone Award”

May 30, 2017 By Dave Dicke •

Winthrop, MN – RS Fiber Cooperative (RS Fiber) was awarded the Cornerstone Award by the industry publication Broadband Communities last week “for dedication, persistence, and vision in securing the benefits of broadband for their communities.”

The award was accepted on behalf of RS Fiber at the publication’s annual industry Summit held May 1-4 in Dallas, TX, by City of Winthrop Economic Development Director, Mark Erickson.

The Cornerstone Award is presented each year to businesses and organizations with “outstanding accomplishments in the area of delivering telecommunications for the benefit of the end user.”

A committee of broadband industry leaders, analysts, and writers help select winners of the award. In selecting RS Fiber, the committee stated, “RS Fiber overcame more obstacles than anyone should have to overcome to get broadband for the residents of Renville and Sibley Counties. And their efforts are paying off.”

Cornerstone Awards were also presented to the City of Wilson, NC/Greenlight Community Broadband and Valley Electric Association, Pahrump, NV.

RS Fiber currently serves customers in the communities of Gaylord, Gibbon, Green Isle, Lafayette, New Auburn and Winthrop with Internet, Video, and Phone service, including Internet speeds of up to 1 Gbps over a state-of-the-art fiber-optic network. RS Air serves rural residents of Renville and Sibley counties by providing symmetrical broadband speeds up to 25 Mbps.

Phase One construction of the project is expected to be completed this fall with services being extended to the towns of Brownton, Buffalo Lake, Fairfax and Stewart.

RS Fiber to Rollout Phone Service in Gaylord

October 21, 2016 By Dave Dicke •

Gaylord, MN – RS Fiber Cooperative (RS Fiber) has announced plans to rollout Phone service to residents of Gaylord.

RS Fiber General Manager Toby Brummer said the service has been fully tested and is now available to persons living in the City of Gaylord. “Current customers interested in adding crystal-clear phone to their current service package, or anyone who would like to learn more about it, can contact our Customer Care Representatives to switch their phone service to RS Fiber.”

Brummer said customers will be able to keep their current phone number upon switching services in addition to enjoying Unlimited Local and Long Distance Calling and other home phone options. Interested persons can contact RS Fiber at 800-628-1754 for more information.

RS Fiber will also be offering Phone service to Winthrop residents. RS Fiber Phone services there have been stalled by current service providers.

Construction crews are currently working on the expansion of the fiber-optic network in several area communities. According to Brummer, Internet, Video, and Phone services will be available in New Auburn and Green Isle by the end of November. Plans are to have services available in the towns of Lafayette and Gibbon by the end of the year.

RS Fiber to Host Community Events in New Auburn and Green Isle

October 4, 2016 By Dave Dicke •

For Immediate Release (10/4/2016)

Gaylord, MN – RS Fiber will be hosting a pair of community events next week in the communities of New Auburn and Green Isle to give residents the opportunity to learn more about RS Fiber services.

The event in New Auburn will be held Tuesday, October 11 at the Fire Hall from 5:30 pm until 8:30 pm. Local residents are invited to stop in for a free catered dinner and to learn more about RS Fiber.

The Green Isle event will be held Wednesday, October 12 at the Green Isle Community School from 5:30 pm until 8:30 pm. A free dinner will be catered by the Green Isle Lions Club.

Door prizes will be drawn for at each event.

RS Fiber General Manager Toby Brummer said RS Fiber team members will be in attendance to answer any questions and assist individuals with signing up for Internet, Video, and Phone. “We are looking forward to meeting with everyone and having an opportunity to explain all of the RS Fiber services.”

Construction crews continue to press forward with Phase 1 construction. In addition to New Auburn and Green Isle, RS Fiber hopes to be offering services to the towns of Gibbon and Lafayette by the end of the year.

For additional information, or to schedule an interview, please contact David Dicke at david.dicke@rsfiber.coop or call 507-474-5884.

PBS to Feature RS Fiber Cooperative

June 20, 2016 By Dave Dicke •

Winthrop, MN – A television crew from the PBS program Newshour/Weekend was in Winthrop and Gaylord this week gathering interviews for what will become a segment on broadband in rural America and feature RS Fiber.

PBS spent Monday visiting with members of the RS Fiber Board of Directors along with business and residential customers to learn how RS Fiber’s high-speed fiber-optic network is making a difference in their businesses and personal lives.

When contacting RS Fiber, segment producer Zachary Green said he was doing a story on the lack of high-speed internet in rural communities when he came across the work that is being done in Renville and Sibley counties and the RS Fiber Cooperative. He said he wanted to learn more about the cooperative model being used to fund the project and the affect high-speed broadband access is having on businesses and the overall quality of life of area residents.

The segment is scheduled to air as part of the July 3 Newshour/Weekend program and can be seen on TPT Life, RS Fiber channel 203.

About us: RS Fiber Cooperative is a community driven effort to deliver a high-speed fiber-optic connection to Sibley County and portions of Renville, Nicollet, and McLeod Counties. The project is bringing fiber-optic Internet, Video, and Phone services to ten cities and seventeen townships. The RS Fiber mission is: “To provide each and every customer with an exceptional service experience that you can only expect to receive from a local business, while providing you with access to the benefits of the most advanced fiber optic network in the US”.

For additional information, please contact David Dicke at david.dicke@rsfiber.coop or call 507-474-5884.

“Signs” of Progress at RS Fiber Offices in Gaylord and Winthrop

June 4, 2015 By Dave Dicke •

New signs now hang above the RS Fiber Cooperative (RS Fiber) offices in Gaylord and Winthrop. On Monday, June 1, new signage was set into place by SignPro of Mankato.

“It’s nice to see things start to come together for the RS Fiber project,” said General Manager Toby Brummer. “It has been a long time in the planning stage and it is exciting to see the project becoming reality!”

Both RS Fiber office locations are scheduled to open in late summer. Office hours will be 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Ten individuals will be hired to staff the offices, working as customer service representatives, office staff, and installation technicians.

Construction of the fiber-optic communications network is scheduled to begin next week. Visit www.rsfiber.coop to learn more about RS Fiber.

Hiawatha Broadband Communications, Inc. Names Brummer as RS Fiber Cooperative General Manager

May 22, 2015 By Dave Dicke •

Hiawatha Broadband Communications, Inc., (HBC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Toby Brummer as Renville-Sibley Fiber Cooperative (RS Fiber) General Manager.

RS Fiber Cooperative General Manager Toby Brummer

HBC CEO Dan Pecarina said, “Toby has all the qualities of the ideal General Manager. He has proven management and communications experience, has operated his own network construction company, and has performed nearly every job function in this industry. We are very fortunate to have Toby leading our team.”

“I am very excited to be a part of such a grassroots project that was really brought to the forefront by Renville and Sibley County residents who wanted to provide the best broadband opportunities possible for their friends and neighbors,” said Brummer. “They realize that the key to economic development, improvement of quality of life, and bringing new families to the area is being connected.”

RS Fiber Cooperative and HBC are working together to bring a new fiber network to Sibley County and portions of Renville, Nicollet, and McLeod Counties. The project will bring fiber-optic Internet, Video, and Phone services to ten cities and seventeen townships. Construction will be completed in two phases over the next five to six years with Phase One beginning the first week of June. The initial network construction phase is projected to cost $15 million.

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