We are excited to announce that Gunther Erbstoesser of Hines and Juel Luettinger of Bemidji have each been awarded scholarships from the Minnesota Telecom Alliance (MTA) Foundation through Paul Bunyan Communications!

Gunther Erbstoesser, a senior at Blackduck High School, was selected as the recipient of the prestigious $3,000 Bud Morrow Award. He plans to attend St. Cloud State University.  The Bud Morrow Scholarship is named after a long-time leader in the Minnesota Telecom Industry.  Bud spent his career at the Lakedale Telephone Company in Annandale, MN.  Bud was actively involved in the Minnesota Telecom Alliance, serving on many committees and leading the changes in the industry during his tenure.

Juel Luettinger, a senior at Bemidji High School, received a $2,000 General MTA Foundation Scholarship. She plans to attend the University of St. Thomas.

“We’re excited to have this opportunity to invest in the futures of outstanding students like Juel and Gunther. Rural communities need bright, educated, and passionate young people to help lead us forward. It’s always a proud moment for Paul Bunyan Communications when local students are recognized with statewide honors.” said Paul Bunyan Communications CEO Chad Bullock.

The MTA Foundation is part of the Minnesota Telecom Alliance, a St. Paul-based trade organization representing more than 44 telephone companies and cooperatives throughout Minnesota.

Paul Bunyan Communications will be expanding its all-fiber optic network the GigaZone®, to over 2,000 more locations in St. Louis County this year with five different projects.

Areas of Angora, Alango, and Owens Townships in St Louis County

Includes over 300 locations in areas south of the city of Cook.

Areas of Balkan Township in St. Louis County

Includes over 550 locations north of the city of Chisholm in areas of Balkan Township.

These two projects are made possible through the Low-Density Population Grant Program through the state of Minnesota. This project is estimated to cost $7,526,055, with the State of Minnesota’s Low-Population Density Program grant contributing $5,569,281. Paul Bunyan Communications investing $1,881,513, Angora Township $33,104, and Balkan Township $42,157.

Areas of Pike, Sandy, and Wuori Townships

Includes over 645 locations. These areas are primarily South and East of Britt

Areas of French Township in St. Louis County and Bearville(S) Township in Itasca County

Includes over 200 locations East and North of Side Lake including Perch Lake, Luna Lake, and Beatrice Lake.

These two projects are made possible through the USDA ReConnect 3 Grant Program. This project is estimated to cost $13,588,555 with the USDA grant contributing $10,191,416. Paul Bunyan Communications investing $3,381,112, and Wuori Township contributing $16,026.

Areas of Great Scott Township and unorganized township north of Great Scott Township in St Louis County

This expansion includes over 350 locations in areas of Great Scott Township and an unorganized township north of Great Scott.  This includes Dark Lake, Clear Lake, Lake Fourteen, and Lake Leander.

Construction will take place over the summer/fall with services expected to be available by winter. Anyone interested in getting connected to the all-fiber optic broadband network should sign up for service now. That can be done online, over the phone, or in person at our Grand Rapids Customer Service & Technology Center. To check to see if a specific location is within an expansion area, visit www.gigazone.com

The cooperative’s services will become available once the network is operational including GigaZone^™ Internet with speeds of up to 10 Gig and low cost unlimited local and long distance GigaZone^™ voice telephone service. There is no membership fee to join Paul Bunyan Communications, membership is gained by subscribing to local phone service or GigaZone^™ Internet service.

Thousands made their way to the Sanford Center on Saturday, April 12 for the highly anticipated GigaZone Gaming Championship & TechXpo, hosted by Paul Bunyan Communications. The free, all-day event featured competitive gaming tournaments, hands-on tech exhibits, prize giveaways, and a keynote from special guest Duncan Wardle, former Head of Innovation and Creativity at Disney.

Designed to spotlight both the region’s tech talent and Paul Bunyan Communications’ cutting-edge all-fiber optic broadband network, the event has grown into one of the largest rural gaming events in the country.

At the heart of the day’s excitement was the main stage Rocket League tournaments. Team 50 Nations—comprised of Tyler Bos (Austin), David Bos and Trevor Bos (Brainerd)—took home the championship title and a $900 team prize. Slithering Hampsters, with players Jace Nyberg and Bryce Giving (Marble), and Jayden St. Cair (Bovey), claimed second place and a $600 prize. A total of 32 of the region’s best Rocket League teams battled it out under the lights of the GigaZone Championship Arena.

The inaugural GigaZone Gaming High School Invitational was also a major highlight, with Park Center earning the top spot, followed by Edina in second, Mandan (ND) in third, and Norman County East in fourth.

The event also featured tournaments in Fortnite, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Madden 25, Valorant, and Super Smash Bros., along with high score competitions like Bemidji Drift and on retro classics like Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, and Donkey Kong. Younger gamers had their moment to shine in juniors’ tournaments, and Magic: The Gathering gamers were on hand too.

Official Results of the 2025 GigaZone Gaming Championship

Tech enthusiasts also explored more than 20 interactive booths at the TechXpo, where regional and national exhibitors showcased everything from virtual reality and robotics to AI and transportation. Attendees had the chance to test out new gadgets, engage in demos, and talk one-on-one with tech professionals and innovators.

A special announcement from Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College also drew attention, as they revealed the upcoming launch of a joint Esports program set to begin in Fall 2026 – a partnership with Paul Bunyan Communications.

The event was made possible thanks to the collaboration of local and regional partners, including NLFX, Accidentally Cool Games, Northern Amusement, and the Sanford Center, along with support from various technology exhibitors.

For more information about the GigaZone Gaming Championship, visit: www.gigazonegaming.com

For more on the GigaZone TechXpo, visit: www.gigazonetechxpo.com 

Congratulations to the winners of the 9^th Men’s Pick-it March Mania Challenge.  780 participants entered the free online contest to pick the winners of the men’s college basketball tournament games.

The top 10 finishers all won a credit on their Paul Bunyan Communications account.

1^st Place-          Fred Luckeroth, Park Rapids            $500 credit

2^nd Place-        Leonard Brown, Grand Rapids         $250 credit

3^rd Place-         Duane Wallace, Park Rapids            $100 credit

4^th Place-         Mary Graham, Laporte                      $50 credit

5^th Place-         Brad Folkestad, Bemidji                    $50 credit

6^th Place-         Sean Dunaway                                    $50 credit

7^th Place-         Ron Oelrich, Bemidji                         $50 credit

8^th Place-         Russell Folkerts, Blackduck             $50 credit

9^th Place-         Christopher White, Bemidji             $50 credit

10^th Place-       Danny McFarren, Park Rapids        $50 credit

Random Prize Drawing:

Joan Randt, Bemidji      (509th place)                      $100 Credit

Here are the winners of the first ever Paul Bunyan Communications Women’s Pick-it March Mania Challenge.  405 participants entered the free online contest to pick the winners of the women’s college basketball tournament games.

 The top 10 finishers all won a credit on their Paul Bunyan Communications account.

1^st Place-         Christopher White, Bemidji              $500 credit

2^nd Place-        Edward Ahrens, Grand Rapids        $250 credit

3^rd Place-         Michael Jourdain Sr, Red Lake       $100 credit

4^th Place-         James Picha, Bemidji                         $50 credit

5^th Place-         Dean Barkey, Park Rapids                 $50 credit

6^th Place-         Paul Iverson, Bemidji                         $50 credit

7^th Place-         Scott Schafer, Bemidji                        $50 credit

8^th Place-         Jerry Miller, Bovey                             $50 credit

9^th Place-         Chelsea Bush, Bemidji                       $50 credit

10^th Place-       Jon Berquist, Bemidji                         $50 credit

Random Prize Drawing:

Dennis Hensel, Park Rapids (309^th place)              $100 Credit

The 2025 GigaZone Gaming Championship & TechXpo is Saturday, April 12 at the Sanford Center in Bemidji.  Admission and all the gaming is FREE!  Doors open at 10 a.m. with special guest Duncan Wardle, former Head of Innovation and Creativity at Disney on the main stage at 2 p.m.

You can open game on various consoles, arcade games, and pinball or enter one of the many gaming tournaments for cash & prizes.  The feature tournaments this year include Rocket League, Super Smash Bros., Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Madden 25, Valorant, Fortnite, and more.

Registration for all tournaments will start at the Sanford Center April 12 at 10 a.m. and it is first come, first in until full.  All tournaments are FREE to enter but you will need to a GigaZone Gaming Player Profile to register that day so create that now at www.gigazonegaming.com

The GigaZone TechXpo will feature over 20 exhibitors that will expose a growing regional audience to technology innovation and potential career opportunities in technology right here in northern Minnesota.

Paul Bunyan Television has added Twins TV to its lineup, bringing Minnesota Twins fans complete coverage of their favorite team this season.

All Paul Bunyan Television main service subscribers will have access to Twins TV on:

• HD Channel 558
• SD Channel 58

Twins TV will deliver live Twins games, and extended pre-game and postgame coverage, ensuring fans can stay connected to their team all season long.

“We’re thrilled to continue to give our PBTV customers access to all the action of Twins baseball.  Adding Twins TV to Paul Bunyan Television is a big win for our region. Play ball!” – Chad Bullock, Paul Bunyan Communications Chief Executive Officer.

We are excited to announce that Joseph Loehlein of Turtle River is the winner of the cooperative’s 2025 Youth Tour Essay Contest.  Joseph is a student at Falcon View Online High School and is the son of Richard and Jean Loehlein. He will attend the 2025 Youth Tour in Washington, D.C. June 2-6, with all expenses paid by Paul Bunyan Communications.

The trip features a comprehensive overview of the telecommunications industry, including careers in telecom, the critical role telecommunications plays in rural America, and how legislative and regulatory decisions affect the industry.  The tour allows youth to meet with members of Congress who represent rural constituents.  They also participate in educational sessions about the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).  Students visit some of the nation’s most historic sites, including the Smithsonian Museums and a beautiful night tour of Washington D.C.

“The FRS Youth Tour is a unique opportunity for a local student from our area to visit Washington D.C. to gain a better perspective on how regulatory decisions impact our cooperative and rural areas.  They will also get the chance to see a lot of historic sites in our nation’s capital!” said Brian Bissonette, Paul Bunyan Communications Marketing Supervisor.

Paul Bunyan Communications has participated in sending a local high school student to the Youth Tour since 1996.  Recent Youth Tour winners include Julia Frenzel of Blackduck (2024), Michael Van Horn of Blackduck (2023), and Amelia Scherling of Bemidji (2022)

The Foundation for Rural Service is dedicated to informing and improving the quality of life throughout rural America.  Each year, it organizes the Youth Tour, designed to educate rural youth about the telecommunications industry and the federal political process.  The FRS is a subsidiary of the NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association of which Paul Bunyan Communications is a member.

Please note that our offices will be opening at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 6

That is 1/2 hour later than our regular opening time of 8 a.m.

Register now for the Paul Bunyan Communications Pick-it March Mania Challenges, two free online contests for participants to pick the winners for the 2025 men’s and women’s college basketball tournament for a chance to win a credit on your Paul Bunyan Communications account!

You can enter one or both contests and the top 10 finishers in each will win a credit on their Paul Bunyan Communications account. First place winner will receive a $500 credit, second place is a $250 credit.  There is also a random bonus prize of $100 credit from among all who register.

For the Men’s Tournament Contest visit http://paulbunyan.pickitchallenge.com/

For the Women’s Tournament Contest visit at https://paulbunyanwomen.pickitchallenge.com/

Register anytime but remember to come back to make your picks after the tournament teams are determined on Sunday, March 16 and before the first games start March 20 for the Men, March 21 for the Women.

The Pick-it March Mania Challenges are a fun and free way to interact with others in northern Minnesota and enjoy a little friendly competition.  Must be 18 years of age or older. Limit one entry per person per contest. Prizes not redeemable for cash. Void where prohibited. Some restrictions may apply. See Pick It March Mania Challenge website for complete contest rules.