I’m pleased to share the news from Paul Buyan Communications…

Long Wait Over: 400+ Locations in Rural Park Rapids Gain Access to Broadband

(Bemidji, MN) (October 20, 2015) – The long wait for access to high speed Internet and cable television services has finally come to an end for hundreds of locations in rural Park Rapids.  Paul Bunyan Communications announced today that expansion of its all-fiber optic network is complete in two more regions of rural Park Rapids bringing access to broadband and cable TV services to over 400 more locations.  One region is north and west of Two Inlets which includes the Boot Lake area.  The other region is to the east of the City of Park Rapids and includes an area from the east side of Long Lake to Big Stony Lake.

Further network expansion construction continues and services are expected to become available over the winter to even more locations currently without broadband in an area east of Park Rapids that includes the following lakes: Sunday, Little Stony, 4th Crow Wing, Island, 3rd Crow Wing, 2nd Crow Wing, Palmer, and most of 1st Crow Wing.

The cooperative started expansion of its all fiber optic network into rural Park Rapids in 2012 and Paul Bunyan Communications now offers all of its services to over 3,100 locations in the region which includes Gigabit Broadband Internet, Paul Bunyan Television, and voice services.

“Access to broadband Internet services enhances life in so many different ways.  It opens up e-commerce opportunities, educational, cultural, and recreational resources.  It is especially important in rural areas where it can help overcome distance and financial barriers,” said Gary Johnson, CEO/GM of Paul Bunyan Communications, “We’ve seen the difference it can make first hand throughout our service territory and we are proud to bring Broadband access to hundreds more in the Park Rapids area.”

“Ironically these new areas of our cooperative have gone from having no Broadband access to having access to the fastest Internet speeds available today as part of the GigaZone. There are very few parts of the country like the Park Rapids area where Gigabit Internet services are available.  It’s pretty amazing that areas like Boot Lake and Long Lake have Gigabit Internet access before New York City or Washington D.C.,” added Brian Bissonette, Paul Bunyan Communications Marketing Supervisor.

GigaZone service options include unprecedented Broadband Internet speeds of up to 1000 Mbps – a Gigabit.  Members who subscribe to GigaZone Broadband can also add PBTV Fusion and/or low cost unlimited local and long distance GigaZone voice service.  All non-GigaZone service options remain available to cooperative members as well.

Most current wireless routers cannot support blazing GigaZone Internet speeds.  To help, the cooperative is offering GigaZone Integrated Wi-Fi that uses the latest in advanced Wi-Fi technologies to maximize the in-home wireless experience. This service is free to all new GigaZone customers for the first six months, with a minimal charge thereafter.

Paul Bunyan Communications has the region’s largest and fastest all fiber optic network with over 5,000 square miles throughout most of Beltrami County and portions of Hubbard, Itasca, Koochiching, and St. Louis Counties.  The Cooperative provides Broadband High Speed Internet Services, digital and high definition television services, Smart Home services, digital voice services, and more.

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