RS Fiber

RS Fiber Extends Keep Americans Connected Pledge Through June 30

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

05/03/2020

Winthrop, MN – RS Fiber has announced they are extending their FCC Keep Americans Connected pledge through June 30, 2020.    The Keep Americans Connected Pledge was made by more than 700 media companies who committed to support their residential and small business customers during the pandemic by waiving late fees and not terminating service because of an inability to pay.  The original pledge expired April 30th.

As an early adopter of the FCC pledge, RS Fiber made the decision to extend their pledge to its customers and small businesses to June 30th. In addition, RS Fiber will extend sign-ups for the Internet Assistance Program through June 30th to support students of low-income families.

This extension includes:

  • Free broadband service to low-income households. Eligible households must have school-aged children enrolled in the free or reduced lunch program or the Telephone Assistance Plan (TAP).
  • Maintaining free access to Community Wi-Fi Hotspots.
  • Temporarily suspending disconnections of service due to failure to pay and waiving late fees for customers.

While RS Fiber offices remain closed to walk-in traffic, our Customer Care and Technical Support teams are available to serve customers. Customers needing to meet with a Customer Care Representative in person may call (800) 628-1754 to set an appointment. Technical Support Services are available 24/7 by calling (800) 628-1754.

 

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 has brought fiber-optic Internet, Video, and Phone services to ten cities and fixed wireless broadband to 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”

Digital Survival in Self Isolation

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Daily life has changed drastically as a result of COVID-19. Our already digital-centric lives have become even more so. That’s why the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has called upon broadband service companies to commit to the Keep Americans Connected Pledge to reduce the risk of interruptions to broadband and telecom connectivity coast to coast during the COVID-19 pandemic.

I certainly agree with the designation of broadband service as essential to society. But I also know information overload can take a toll. To reduce that risk, I’m trying to be more mindful about my media consumption and would suggest others do, too.

I remind myself not to believe everything I read or hear. Rumors are being debunked daily about everything from which celebrity has contracted the virus to which home remedies protect against it. Choose outlets you trust to keep up on the latest safety guidance.

Online tools, like video conferencing, are a great way to stay connected. I urge you to use the technology available to stay connected with family and loved ones who are self-isolating in other places. With a little creativity, I have also worked to establish a routine. Bookmarking online resource lists, remote learning options, home workout routines and digital tours keeps me updated, entertained and engaged while avoiding getting sucked into ‘click bait’ that sensationalizes and misleads.

Wearing my work hat, I am focused on keeping our network running and I am proud of the company and all of our great employees for working to bring essential services to the homes, community support services, and businesses of our RS Fiber service area. You can visit our website (http://www.rsfiber.coop) if you would like to learn more about our efforts and assistance offerings.

I hope you and your families are staying safe, healthy and calmly connected.

Dan Pecarina

President

Hiawatha Broadband Communications (HBC)

RS Fiber Operations

 

A Letter to Our Customers

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To our customers,

With the increase in the number of Coronavirus cases, we want to ensure you we are taking steps to protect our employees and customers. We continue to monitor closely the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the disease it causes, named “Coronavirus Disease 2019” (COVID-19). At this time, no one knows how severe this outbreak will be. Given this uncertainty, and the fact that the seasonal influenza (flu) virus is also widespread, we are taking proactive steps to limit the spread of illness.

Staff are following HBC guidelines for:

  • Hand sanitizers
  • Clorox wipes for disinfecting work surfaces & electronic devices (mobile phone, laptops)
  • Other protections such as disposable rubber gloves and face masks when needed
  • Self-imposed work from home as a precaution for employees who have traveled by air or cruise ship or who have a known exposure

We are following CDC recommendations such as requiring employees to:

  • Stay at home if they are experiencing respiratory symptoms, fever, and other flu-like symptoms
  • Wash hands frequently with soap and water and make use of alcohol-based sanitizers
  • Disinfect frequently touched surfaces such as telephones, keyboards, and tools

In order to adhere to new social distancing guidelines, HBC is announcing several new protocols.

Effective today, Wednesday, March 18, 2020, RS Fiber offices are being closed to walk-in traffic. An appointment will be required for customers to drop off, pick up or exchange equipment. Customers may contact RS Fiber by calling (800) 628-1754 to set an appointment.

When scheduling equipment related or installation appointments, Customer Care Representatives will be asking a series of health screening questions to access when an appointment can be made. If anyone in the household has been ill, traveled on an airplane or has traveled outside the country, an appointment will be delayed for a minimum of 14 days per CDC quarantine guidelines.

You may notice employees such as installers, in-home repair technicians, and front lobby personnel wearing gloves and/or masks as they perform their day-to-day activities. In addition, service technicians who enter homes are also equipped with disposable boot covers.

With area schools closed and shifting to online learning platforms, RS Fiber is offering low-income families, who qualify for the free or reduced school lunch program, 60-days of free broadband service to ensure students have access to the Internet for online learning. Other low-income individuals who qualify for the national Telephone Assistance Program (TAP) can also take advantage of the 60-day free broadband offer. To find out if you qualify, visit rsfiber.coop.

RS Fiber has also made its Community WiFi networks, at both the Gaylord and Winthrop city parks, free for everyone.

We will continue to closely monitor the situation. Protecting the health of our customers, employees, visitors to our facility, and others is our utmost priority. Together, we can limit the risk of spreading illness in the workplace and community.

Thank you,

The RS Fiber Team

 

RS Fiber Enacts Protocols to Protect Customers and Employees During Coronavirus Outbreak

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RS Fiber Cooperative is committed to the health and well-being of our customers and employees during the Coronoavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. In order to adhere to new social distancing guidelines, RS Fiber will be implementing the following protocols: 

Effective Wednesday, March 18, 2020, RS Fiber offices will be closed to walk-in traffic. An appointment will be required for customers to drop off, pick up or exchange equipment. Customers may contact RS Fiber by calling (800) 628-1754 to make an appointment. 

When scheduling equipment related or installation appointments, Customer Care Representatives will be asking a series of health screening questions to assess when an appointment can be made. If anyone in the household has been ill, traveled on an airplane or has traveled outside the country, an appointment will be delayed for a minimum of 14 days per CDC quarantine guidelines. 

RS Fiber is committed to providing the highest possible level of service during these difficult times. Our offices will remain staffed and customers will still have access to 24/7 technical support.
 

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate through this crisis together. 

RS Fiber to Offer Free Broadband Internet to Eligible Families with Students Amid Coronavirus School Closures

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For Immediate Release (03/15/2020)

Gaylord, MN – RS Fiber Cooperative (RS Fiber) will provide two months of free broadband service to eligible low-income households, as a number of Minnesota schools announce closures amid concerns about the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Manager of the RS Fiber Network, Winona-based Hiawatha Broadband Communications, Inc. (HBC) made the announcement Monday morning. HBC President Dan Pecarina said that RS Fiber is taking measures to provide free Internet access to eligible low-income families, who are new customers, and for free community Wi-Fi hotspots.

“RS Fiber will be working with local school districts to accelerate the school system’s referrals of local low-income families to ensure every student has access to vital communications services through the RS Fiber Internet Assistance Program,” Pecarina said. “Families who live in RS Fiber member communities and townships can sign up for the program through the school system.”

“RS Fiber is a strong supporter of K-12 education,” said Pecarina. “It is important to all families, schools, and communities that every child is provided the access to on-line learning offered by local school districts.”

RS Fiber is prepared to move quickly to install broadband service to new subscriber families to ensure students aren’t left behind as schools suspend classes and move to on-line learning amidst the COVID-19 crisis.

Free Community WiFi Hot Spots will be located in Gaylord at Gaylord Park and in Winthrop at Winthrop Park to provide additional Internet access for the general public.

RS Fiber receives Blandin Foundation Courageous Leadership Award

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NISSWA, Minn. (Oct. 14, 2019) – RS Fiber Cooperative, Inc. was presented with a Courageous Leadership Award at the 15th annual Blandin Foundation broadband conference, Innovation: Putting Broadband to Work, held last week at Grand View Lodge in Nisswa, Minn. The cooperative’s board of directors was honored for its commitment, courage and innovative approach that launched a new broadband cooperative providing fiber optic connectivity to residents in ten communities.

”It was a long and arduous process to create RS Fiber,” said Bernadine Joselyn, director of public policy and engagement at Blandin Foundation. “Despite many obstacles, the RS Fiber board remains dedicated to the proposition that the fate of region’s population centers is inexorably linked to the fate of its farmers and their farms. Their persistence and commitment inspire me.” Courageous Leadership Awards were created by Blandin Foundation to recognize and celebrate acts of leadership that have significantly contributed to the vibrancy of rural Minnesota communities.

RS Fiber is a community-owned, community-driven network bringing high-speed, low-cost broadband services to more than 2,200 customers in Renville, Sibley, McLeod and Nicollet counties. In recognition of their accomplishments, RS Fiber previously received the League of Minnesota Cities’ “City of Excellence Award” in 2016 for their collaboration in working to bring high-speed broadband Internet to their communities.

“Local leadership was the essence of this project,” said Dave Rieke, broadband champion and former RS Fiber board member. “Broadband access in rural Minnesota is the lifeline to the world. The community knew this, and local leaders became the vehicle to carry forward our shared vision.”

RS Fiber was honored alongside eleven other awardees who all have taken courageous action to bring the benefits of broadband to their communities. Award winners include: City of Windom, the partnership between Cook County and Arrowhead Electric, PCs for People, the partnership between Lac qui Parle County and Farmers Mutual Telephone Company, Southwest Minnesota Broadband Services, the late Paul Bergman, City of Monticello, Jan Keogh, Nancy Hoffman, and Gary Evans.

“All of these individuals, organizations and communities knew early on many other rural communities are just now realizing – that broadband access, and the skills to use it, are fundamental for strong economies, leading-edge education and healthcare, and a high quality of life,” said Joselyn. “RS Fiber communities already are seeing significant economic growth, like the medical school coming to Gaylord along with education, telemedicine, and precision agriculture benefits.”

Read profiles of each award winner at http://courageousleadersmnbb.org.

About Blandin Foundation: Blandin Foundation works for vibrant rural Minnesota communities by investing in community leaders and working with partners to expand opportunity for all residents. Located in Grand Rapids, Minn., it is one of only a handful of foundations in the U.S. focused exclusively on rural communities and the largest rural-based private foundation in Minnesota. Information on Blandin Foundation grant-making, leadership development programs and public policy initiatives: www.blandinfoundation.org. Information about the Blandin Broadband Communities Program: http://broadband.blandinfoundation.org

(Press released furnished by the Blandin Foundation)

RS Fiber Cooperative Enters the Growth Phase

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For Immediate Release 08/30/2018

Gaylord, MN – As the high-speed broadband project enters its third year, RS Fiber Cooperative (RS Fiber) customer growth has increased by 62% over the past year.

Phase One construction has been completed with the final four member communities being connected to the Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH) Gigabit network in the first quarter of 2018. The company is now in the customer acquisition stage for all ten Fiber to the Home communities. To date, RS Fiber serves more than 30% of the homes and businesses in the ten communities and that number continues to grow at a steady rate each month.

The customer acquisition phase moves RS Fiber Cooperative beyond the high risk of a start-up company in construction mode.  This also means that the company financing will need to shift to a model that will support continued growth to not only to a positive cash flow but also to profitability as planned by 2021.

At a recent presentation to the Joint Powers Board, Shannon Sweeny of David Drown Associates, Inc., stated that the subordinated debt payments will not be made for the next two years and that the cities will need to make the GO bond payments. The subscriber growth on the network will determine when RS Fiber will be able to take back the payments from the cities. That determination will be looked at annually.

Kevin Lauwagie, the RS Fiber Board Chair, stated that “RS Fiber was founded due to the lack of interest by existing companies to serve the towns and rural townships in our area.  Now that the first phase is complete and more than 2,000 residents have already benefited by the service, we know we’ve done the right thing and look forward to continuing with expansion of the service across our region”.

With the project now in its third year, RS Fiber continues its steady growth trend. The company now serves more than 2,000 homes and businesses and has increased revenue by 65% over the past 12 months.

RS Fiber Air, the fixed wireless solution for the 17 townships served in phase 1, continues to expand wireless broadband coverage to new areas of rural Renville and Sibley counties. Five additional towers have been added in the project area in 2018. These towers will continue to expand the reach of broadband services throughout the area.

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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 has brought fiber-optic Internet, Video, and Phone services to ten cities and broadband fixed wireless to 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 Open House Event Held in Stewart

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For Immediate Release 4/11/18

Stewart, MN –RS Fiber held an open house recently to introduce its high-speed broadband Internet, Video, and Phone services to residents of Stewart, Lake Ally, and Lake Preston.

Around 150 people attended the event, held at Cactus Jack’s II in Stewart, for the opportunity to visit with members of the RS Fiber team and to sign up for services.

RS Fiber operations manager, Ben Ranft, said while installations are currently happening in Stewart, it will be a few more weeks before services are available to those living in Lake Ally and Lake Preston.

“We were really pleased with the turnout. Presently we are connecting homes and businesses in Stewart to the high-speed fiber-optic network. We offer speeds up to a Gigabit and with our Cornerstone program, new customers can upgrade to Gigabit Internet at no additional cost. Stewart residents can also receive their video and phone services from RS Fiber. People living in Lake Ally and Lake Preston can expect to receive services soon.”

The high-speed fiber-optic network is being constructed and operated by Winona, MN based Hiawatha Broadband Communications (HBC). HBC General Manager, 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 enjoying a catered meal, everyone in attendance was eligible to win several door prizes. The winner of a Samsung 40-inch LED TV was Robert Wilson of Buffalo Lake, Lori Vinkemeier of Stewart won an Amazon Echo Show, and the cordless phone went home with Jan Trohkimoinen from Buffalo Lake.

 

RS Fiber Open House Event Scheduled to be Held in Stewart Next Week

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For Immediate Release 03/27/2018

Stewart, MN – RS Fiber Cooperative (RS Fiber) is hosting an open house for the residents of Lake Allie, Lake Preston, and Stewart for all who are interested in learning more about RS Fiber high-speed Internet, Video, and Phone services.

The open house will be held at Cactus Jack’s II in Stewart on Wednesday, April 4, 2018 from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm. Those attending will be available visit with RS Fiber team members to learn more about high-speed, fiber-optic Internet, high-definition Video, and crystal-clear Phone services. Anyone who signs up for services will be eligible for the RS Fiber Cornerstone program. New Customers 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 how you can get a $50.00 credit towards your new RS Fiber account!

There will also be a free meal served from 5:30 pm until 6:30 pm. The meal will include pulled pork sandwiches, potato salad, baked beans, chips, cookies, ice cream, and a beverage.

All who attend will also 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® 1080p 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 are now available in Stewart and will be available soon in the communities of Lake Allie and Lake Preston.

 

 

 

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

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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
PO BOX 326
Gaylord, MN 55334
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