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.

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.

The 2025 GigaZone Gaming Championship and TechXpo is Saturday, April 12 at the Sanford Center in Bemidji. The event is one of the largest rural gaming events in the United States and features free arcade gaming/pinball, numerous gaming tournaments for cash/prizes, door prizes, and more.  Admission and all the gaming are FREE including entering a gaming tournament.

This year’s tournaments will include:

Rocket League- Main Stage

The main stage tournament on the esports stadium style stage in the GigaZone Championship Arena.

3-person team competition with 16 team maximum.

1^st Place- $900 per team 2^nd Place-$600 per team, 3^rd Place-$300 per team

Rocket League- GigaZone High School Invitational

**New** This tournament is exclusive to High School Esports teams.  It is a 3-person team double elimination tournament with 16 team maximum.  Schools interested in registering for this tournament should visit https://gigazonegaming.com/ for more information

Fortnite

This is a No-Build Solos leaderboard tournament. Tournament will be open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

1^st Place-$400; 2^nd Place-$300; 3^rd Place-$200; 4^th Place-$100

Madden24

Individual competition with 32-person maximum 1^st Place-$400; 2^nd Place-$300; 3^rd Place-$200; 4^th Place-$100

Valorant

5-person team competition with 12-team maximum

1^st Place- $1,000; per team; 2^nd Place-$500 per team; 3^rd Place-$250 per team

Super Smash Bros Ultimate

Individual competition with 64-person maximum. 1^st Place- $300; 2^nd Place-$200; 3^rd Place $100; 4^th Place $50

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Individual competition with 64-person maximum 1^st Place- $300; 2^nd Place-$200; 3^rd Place $100; 4^th Place $50

Super Smash Bros Ultimate- Junior Tournament (Kids under 13)

Individual competition with 32-person maximum   1^st Place- $200; 2^nd Place-$150; 3^rd Place $100; 4^th Place $50

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe- Junior Tournament (Kids under 13)

Individual competition with 64-person maximum 1^st Place- $200; 2^nd Place-$150; 3^rd Place $100; 4^th Place $50

Magic The Gathering Booster Drafts

Tarkir Dragonstorm Draft at 11 a.m. with 64-person maximum. Top 8 player Championship Draft at 3 p.m. with live stream coverage. Commander Events starting at 3pm.

Cosplay Contest Adult

1^st Place- $300; 2^nd Place $200; 3^rd Place-$100

Cosplay Contest Juniors

1^st Place- $100; 2^nd Place $75; 3^rd Place-$50

Classic Arcade Games Top Score

Donkey Kong   $100

Galaga              $100

Ms. Pacman      $100

Bemidji Drift- PBC Truck Racing Simulator Best Time

Adults AM- $100  PM- $100

Juniors AM- $100 PM- $100

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arade Game High Score

$200

GigaZone Gaming Profile Required to Enter Tournaments

All the gaming is free, but a GigaZone Gaming profile is required to enter a tournament.  This is also free and can be created anytime online at www.gigazonegaming.com

Registration for all tournaments is first come, first in until full on the day of the event with doors opening at 10 a.m Special Guest Duncan Wardle, the former Head of Innovation and Creativity at Disney will be on the main stage at 2 p.m.

This Paul Bunyan Communications event includes the talents of many local partners including NLFX, Accidentally Cool Games, Northern Amusement, the Sanford Center, as well as support from several regional and national partners.

We are excited to announce the winners of the annual Pick-it Bowl Challenge, a free online contest for participants to pick the winners for the 2024-25 College Bowl games for a chance to win a credit on a Paul Bunyan Communications account.  There were a 676 participants.

Winners of the 2024-25 Paul Bunyan Communications Pick-it Bowl Challenge:

1^st Place- $500 credit              Dana DeMars, Lake George

2^nd Place- $250 credit             Lindsey Dougherty, Bemidji

3^rd Place- $100 credit              Robert Wickman, Grand Rapids

4^th Place- $50 credit                Nicholas Brown, Red Lake

5^th Place- $50 credit                Blake Nordin, Hackensack

6^th Place- $50 credit                Norman Mattson, Cohasset

7^th Place- $50 credit                Neal Adams, Bemidji

8^th Place- $50 credit                Megan Fratzke, Bemidji

9^th Place- $50 credit                Mike Hoffman, Bemidji

10^th Place- $50 credit              Bonny Siegford, Deer River

Random $100 Credit Prize Winner:  Kathy Wron, Deer River (404^th Place)

The next Paul Bunyan Communications Pick-It Challenge is March Mania for both the College Division 1 Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments.

Paul Bunyan Communications is expanding its all-fiber optic network the GigaZone®, to over 2,200 locations this year in Koochiching, Itasca, St. Louis, and Aitkin County this year.  Visit www.gigazone.com to see if your location is included, get more information, and sign up!

Itasca County expansion includes the city of Taconite, the city of Keewatin, and an area of the Greenway Township east of the city of Calumet.  Construction is completed and services are now available in all 3 expansion areas.

St. Louis County expansion includes the city of Buhl and over 240 locations in the Forbes area southwest of Eveleth.  Construction is completed and services are now available in both expansion areas.

Aitkin County expansion includes an area of Aitkin Township and an unorganized township northwest of the city of Aitkin, an area of Ball Bluff, Cornish, and Verdon Townships south of the city of Jacobson and areas of Kimberly, Spencer, Jevne, Flemming, and Morrison Townships between Aitkin and McGregor.  Construction is completed and the project is now in the fiber splicing phase.  Service installations in all these areas are expected to begin by late January once the network is operational.

Koochiching County expansion includes areas of Lindford, Ericsburg, and Pelland south of International Falls.  Construction is completed and services are now available.

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 or Cooperative Headquarters in Bemidji.

The cooperative’s services will become available once the network is operational including GigaZone® Internet with its unprecedented broadband 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 included by subscribing to either local phone service or GigaZone® Internet service.