Frontier Coop Launches Broadband Connectivity Project with Microsoft, Land O’Lakes & Nextlink Internet
The effort will boost broadband internet speeds at the cooperative and extend broadband connectivity to customers and residents in nearly 30 Frontier location areas.
May 3, 2021 (Lincoln, Nebr.) – Frontier Cooperative is excited to announce a collaboration with Microsoft, Land O’Lakes and internet service provider Nextlink to expand broadband internet access to residents and commercial business areas within a 5 to 10 mile radius of several of Frontier Coop’s locations. Nextlink will install high-speed broadband technology to nearly 30 Frontier elevator facilities, improving access to broadband connectivity throughout the area. This effort to improve internet connectivity aims to directly benefit residents in these rural areas who currently lack adequate broadband service at home.
Not only is broadband becoming increasingly critical to daily life, but it also offers farmers the opportunity to engage in precision agriculture, increasing yields, improving productivity, and boosting profits. Yet, 60 percent of farmers say they lack the connectivity needed to run their business. This effort by Frontier, Nextlink, Microsoft and Land O’Lakes aims to address these gaps.
Over the course of the next 24 months, the following Frontier locations are tentatively scheduled to receive installations: David City, Bellwood, Garrison, Brainard, Dwight, Bruno, Tarnov, Prague, Cook, Tecumseh, Belgrade, Silver Creek, Cedar Bluffs, Palmyra, Manley, Elmwood, Murdock, Mynard West, Walton, Prairie Home, Ceresco, Adams, Syracuse, Syracuse Rail, Bennet, and Martell. Frontier Cooperative will make an effort to notify members of the respective communities in advance of when a facility’s technology will go live, with some facilities seeing go-live dates in the next 60-90 days.
Packages will range from $49 to $119 (15Mbps to 100Mpbs download speeds), and Frontier Coop employees and patrons are eligible for discounts with proper documentation.
This project is part of ongoing efforts by Land O’Lakes, Microsoft, and Nextlink to address the rural broadband gap across the United States. Frontier Coop is part of the Land O’Lakes member network, and Nextlink is a Microsoft Airband Initiative partner. Through its Airband Initiative, Microsoft aims to extend broadband access to 3 million people who reside in unserved or underserved rural areas in the United States by partnering with internet service providers and others supporting connectivity solutions. Similarly, Land O’Lakes and its cooperative network are helping bridge the digital divide with awareness and advocacy through its American Connection Project.
“High-speed internet doesn’t have to be a luxury,” said Jeremy Wilhelm, Chief Executive Officer at Frontier Cooperative. “In an increasingly connected world, high-speed internet is a necessity to help connect the farm, the family and the community. Frontier is proud to work with Land O’Lakes, Microsoft and Nextlink to make a difference in rural America.”
“We’re so excited to be partnering with Frontier Cooperative to bring real solutions for the lack of broadband access in these communities,” said Teddy Bekele, Chief Technology Officer at Land O’Lakes. “As a farmer-owned co-op with deep roots across rural America, Land O’Lakes will continue to raise awareness and devise more ways to increase access to digital connectivity for all Americans.”
“Living in a rural area should not cut one off from the opportunities available throughout the rest of the United States,” said Vickie Robinson, general manager of Microsoft’s Airband Initiative. “Through partnerships like this, we can ensure communities get the connectivity they deserve, adopt new technologies, and thrive in the 21st century economy.”
“We’re just grateful for the opportunity to partner with Frontier Cooperative, a pillar in the communities they serve, along with our valued strategic partnerships with Land O’Lakes and Microsoft Airband Initiative to bring critical, quality high-speed Internet to enable economic development through lower cost precision agriculture solutions, home-based employment and learning, and telemedicine to more and more small towns and rural communities,” said Steve Burks, Nextlink SVP Sales & Marketing.
Media Inquiries
Frontier Cooperative | Jeremy Wilhelm, CEO l 402-937-1800 Ext. 2006 l jeremy.wilhelm@frontiercooperative.com
Nextlink Internet Media Relations | 855-698-5465 | MediaRelations@team.nxlink.com
Microsoft Media Relations | WE Communications for Microsoft l 425-638-7777 l rrt@we-worldwide.com
Land O’Lakes, Inc. | Natalie Long l 651-368-5600 l nlong@landolakes.com
# # #
About Frontier Cooperative
Frontier Cooperative is a full-service, member-owned cooperative operating primarily throughout eastern Nebraska. Frontier offers products and services in Grain, Agronomy, Feed and Energy and has been proudly serving local producers for over 100 years.
About Nextlink Internet
Nextlink Internet is a rural-focused provider of internet and phone services to residential, business, institutional and governmental customers in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska. The company is a fully IP-based, carrier-class network with 70,000 customers, more than 700 team members with local community presence, and extensive fiber and wireless infrastructure.
As an active participant in the Federal Communications Commission’s programs to close the digital divide, Nextlink is working to connect thousands more homes, schools, libraries, medical centers, and businesses in small communities across 11 mid-western states. For more information: https://nextlinkinternet.com. For current service areas see: Nextlink Coverage Map.
About Microsoft Airband
Microsoft’s Airband Initiative is an effort to close the broadband gap and help communities use new connectivity to improve education, health care, and agriculture, and transform their businesses. The Airband Initiative works with the private and public sectors to invest in new technologies, accelerate broadband deployment, and support policy changes with the goal of bringing broadband access to millions of people in the United States. More information can be found at aka.ms/airband
About Land O’Lakes, Inc.
Land O’Lakes, Inc., one of America’s premier agribusiness and food companies, is a member-owned cooperative with industry-leading operations that span the spectrum from agricultural production to consumer foods. With 2019 annual sales of $14 billion, Land O’Lakes is one of the nation’s largest cooperatives, ranking 212 on the Fortune 500.
Building on a legacy of more than 99 years of operation, Land O’Lakes today operates some of the most respected brands and businesses in agriculture and food production including Land O’Lakes Dairy Foods, Purina Animal Nutrition, WinField United and Truterra, LLC. The company does business in all 50 states and more than 60 countries. Land O’Lakes, Inc. corporate headquarters are located in Arden Hills, Minn.