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.

Who’s Ready to Rumble?

The Rural Rumble is an online national Rocket League esports tournament where you will compete against teams from across the country for prizes!

The Rural Rumble is open to teams of three ages 13+ and is FREE for members of Paul Bunyan Communications.

Elimination rounds will be played on Sunday, February 2; the championship round will be played on Sunday, February 23.

For more information and to sign up, visit Rural Rumble 2025 Registration deadline is January 15.

The GigaZone Gaming Championship and TechXpo, a Paul Bunyan Communications event, has announced that Duncan Wardle, the former Head of Innovation and Creativity at Disney, will be the special guest in 2025.

Duncan helped teams at Disney Parks, Lucasfilm, Marvel, Pixar, Imagineering and Animation to innovate, creating magical new storylines and amazing experiences for consumers around the globe. From sending Buzz Lightyear into space on a space shuttle, to creating an Olympic-sized swimming pool for Michael Phelps to swim down Main Street USA at Disneyland, to creating the Super Bowl halftime show for the new Millennium, Duncan has given life to some of the biggest ideas imaginable.

He is a multiple TEDx speaker and frequent contributor to Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, and Forbes, and he teaches Innovation and Creativity Masterclasses at Yale and Harvard Universities. Duncan holds the American Citizen Award presented at the White House, an Honorary Doctorate from Edinburgh University, and the Duke of Edinburgh Award, presented by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth.

The 2025 GigaZone Gaming Championship & TechXpo will be April 12 at the Sanford Center in Bemidji.  It is free to attend, free to game, and free to be an exhibitor. The doors will open at 10 a.m.  As special guest, Wardle will present on the main stage at 2 p.m.  He will also be a judge for the Greater Bemidji NorthStar Pitch Competition.

The mission of the GigaZone TechXpo is to spark excitement and create opportunities with technology by connecting students and job seekers with employers, educators and technology enthusiasts from across northern Minnesota.  Schools and businesses can get in front of thousands of potential students, customers, and employees. There is no cost to be an exhibitor but space is limited and the exhibit must display the use of technology. Applications must be submitted by February 28, 2025 at www.gigazonetechxpo.com

The GigaZone Gaming Championship will feature free gaming on various console and arcade games, numerous tournaments, door prizes, and more. There is no cost to enter the tournaments or for any of the gaming.  Tournament details will be posted on the GigaZone Gaming Discord, Twitch channel, and Facebook page as well as www.gigazonegaming.com

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

The GigaZone Gaming Championship and TechXpo, a Paul Bunyan Communications event, will return on Saturday, April 12, 2025 at the Sanford Center in Bemidji. The event is now one of the largest rural gaming and technology expositions in the United States and recognized nationally within the broadband industry for its innovative way to showcase the cooperative’s all-fiber optic network while engaging with the gaming community and anyone interested in technology.

“Last year was another awesome experience.  We had close to 4,000 came out for this one-of-a-kind event.  There were more gaming opportunities than ever before, Danielle Feinberg from Pixar Animation Studios was our special guest,and over 25 exhibitors were on hand demonstrating their use of technology to thousands of potential students, customers, and employees. It was an amazing day and we are excited to bring it back again on April 12.” said Gary Johnson, Paul Bunyan Communications CEO/General Manager

The GigaZone Gaming Championship will feature free gaming on various console and arcade games, numerous tournaments, door prizes, and more. There is no cost to enter the tournaments or for any of the gaming.  Tournament details will be posted on the GigaZone Gaming Discord, Twitch channel, and Facebook page as well as www.gigazonegaming.com  New this year will be the GigaZone Gaming High School Invitational, a Rocket League tournament exclusively for school sanctioned High School esports teams.  Schools interested should contact Fenworks at https://fenworks.com/contact-us/

The GigaZone TechXpo will expose a growing regional audience to technology innovation and help them turn their technical skills and enthusiasm into successful careers right here northern Minnesota. Start-ups and companies creatively leveraging technology will be able to demonstrate their innovation to a large group of tech-savvy potential employees. Educators and educational institutions can have their tech-oriented students show off projects and promote the technology training programs they have to offer. There is no cost to be an exhibitor but space is limited and the exhibit must creatively display the use of technology. Applications will open January 3 with a deadline to apply by February 28, 2025 at www.gigazonetechxpo.com

This one-of-a-kind event showcases Paul Bunyan Communications’ IT and web development team, which custom-built and integrated much of the online technology being used and leverages the speed of the GigaZone, one of the largest rural all-fiber optic gigabit networks in the country. The entire gaming event is run off a single residential GigaZone Internet connection.

“Our cooperative continues to expand our advanced fiber network that brings many advantages to our members including extreme speed and low latency, which are critical for the best online gaming experience. The GigaZone Gaming Championship showcases just that,” added Leo Anderson, Paul Bunyan Communications Chief Technology Officer.

“It is the biggest rural gaming event I’m aware of and the TechXpo makes a lot of connections to potential careers. Many of the exhibitors were able to attract new employees, students, and/or customers through the event.  I don’t think people realize just how innovative our schools and businesses are and how they implement the latest technology into their operations or education curriculum. The TechXpo is a showcase for that in a personal, interactive, and exciting way,” added Brian Bissonette, Paul Bunyan Communications Marketing Supervisor.

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

Come celebrate the season with your local cooperative at our Holiday Open House on Friday, December 13 from 10-2 at our offices in Bemidji and Grand Rapids.

Enjoy hot apple cider and cookies plus pick up the 2024 collector ornament and 2025 calendars while supplies last!

Our offices will be closed on Thursday, November 28 and Friday, November 29 in observation of the Thanksgiving Holiday.  Our regular office hours will resume on Monday, December 2.

Emergency 24 hour repair will remain available.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Paul Bunyan Communications has been awarded a $3.9 million State of Minnesota Border-to-Border Broadband Low-Population Density Grant to serve areas of Alango, Field, and Sturgeon Townships in St Louis County.

The Low-Population Density Program will fund up to 75% of eligible project costs to help providers build out broadband infrastructure in some of the more remote or costly-to-serve areas of the state with the cooperative investing the remainder to expand its all-fiber optic network to these areas.

The Alango, Field, and Sturgeon Townships are west and southwest of the city of Cook. This project will include a total of 420 locations with a total cost of $6,023,265.  Funders in addition to the State of Minnesota include St. Louis County Broadband Infrastructure- $400,000, IRRRB Broadband Infrastructure-$400,000, Alango Township-$41,200, Field Township-$17,800, Sturgeon Township-$40,000, and Paul Bunyan Communications-$1,200,108.

“We are thrilled to continue our expansion efforts, bringing high-speed broadband access to underserved areas in our region. While our cooperative has a strong history of expanding our network to underserved communities, it has become more challenging to do so independently without grant assistance due to the costs involved and low density of population in these rural areas. Thanks to the Low Population Density Grant program, we will now be able to extend our services to these areas, providing broadband speeds of up to 10 Gigabits per second and making them part of one of the largest rural Gigabit networks in the nation,” said Chad Bullock, Paul Bunyan Communications incoming CEO/General Manager.

Paul Bunyan Communications expects to develop the expansion plans over the next year and will contact locations along the upcoming expansion routes once those plans are finalized and before construction starts.

“We are excited to receive this grant! It will bring symmetrical fiber-optic broadband to highly rural areas that are in critical need of it. This will be a game changer for these residents and businesses,” said Leo Anderson, Chief Technology Officer of Paul Bunyan. “We are grateful to the State of Minnesota for launching this low-density pilot grant program, which makes this expansion possible. We also extend our thanks to St. Louis County, the IRRRB, the impacted townships for their financial support, and our state officials who have championed funding for the Border-to-Border broadband grant program.”

October is Cooperative Month—an opportunity to highlight the power of cooperation and its impact on communities. For broadband cooperatives like ours, this month is especially meaningful as we reflect on how cooperation brings essential internet access to our rural and underserved areas, ensuring everyone can thrive in the digital age.

Cooperative Month is celebrated every October to recognize the importance of cooperatives across various sectors—from agriculture to finance, and housing to broadband. With over 40,000 cooperatives in the United States serving 120 million members, this month honors the vital role cooperatives play in fostering economic development, strengthening communities, and empowering individuals.

As a not-for-profit broadband cooperative, we operate on a member-first model. This means that instead of profits going to shareholders, they are reinvested into the cooperative or returned to members. We focus on reliable and affordable internet access—a necessity in today’s digital world.

Broadband cooperatives like ours focus on rural areas where large internet providers often do not see the financial incentive to build infrastructure. Through collaboration and a community-driven approach, we have built one of the largest rural all-fiber optic networks in the country, the GigaZone, providing high quality, reliable high-speed internet to areas that need it most.

In addition to providing world class connectivity, we are committed to providing real, local customer service.  We have over 160 staff who live and work in the communities we serve right here in northern Minnesota to ensure that members receive the support they need with the services we provide.

And as a member of our cooperative, you share in our success!

As we celebrate Cooperative Month 2024, let’s remember the power of working together. Through cooperation, we build stronger, more resilient communities and provide the connectivity needed to thrive in today’s world.