GigaZone Expanded to all School Districts Served by Paul Bunyan Communications

(Bemidji, MN) (February 15, 2015) –Paul Bunyan Communications announced today that all of the school districts served by the cooperative have been upgraded and are now in the GigaZone, the advanced regional Gigabit fiber network that is quickly becoming one of the largest rural Gigabit networks in the country.

"This is a big day for our school districts. We've always been committed to providing our region the best possible communication services and supporting education throughout our region. In today's world that means delivering advanced data services and Internet capabilities unsurpassed by any region or any other provider in the country – regardless of size or location. The GigaZone will not only provide our school districts the capacity to handle current communication technologies quickly and efficiently, it will also meet the increasing demands of the next generation of technological innovations," said Gary Johnson, Paul Bunyan Communications CEO/General Manager.

"The GigaZone will provide the school districts Gigabit Internet speeds throughout the school day so educators and students alike can use the Internet faster and more efficiently. This upgrade is being provided at no extra charge so districts can stay within their budget and prepare their students for the future and the new technologies it will bring," said Steve Howard, Paul Bunyan Communications IT & Development Manager.

The school districts now in the GigaZone include Red Lake, Northome, Kelliher, Blackduck, Indus, Bemidji, Laporte, Littlefork-Big Falls, Park Rapids, Greenway, Nashwauk-Keewatin, Grand Rapids, Deer River, and the TrekNorth and Voyageurs charter schools. Those school districts who currently receive MetroEthernet Internet services can be upgraded to Gigabit Internet services at no extra charge. Some restrictions may apply.

The GigaZone is currently available to over 14,000 locations including all of the cooperative's service area of rural Park Rapids, Lake George, Trout Lake Township east of Grand Rapids, most of Grand Rapids, and portions of Bemidji. GigaZone upgrades will continue in 2016 and ultimately Paul Bunyan Communications' expansive regional fiber network will allow for the GigaZone to include the cooperative's entire 5,000 square mile service area.

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, Cass, and St. Louis Counties. The Cooperative provides Fiber Optic High Speed Internet Services, digital and high definition television services, Smart Home services, digital voice services, and more.