Bridging the Rural Digital Divide
Consolidated Communications is bringing fiber broadband services to rural
America, critical access to the internet for
economic opportunity,
job creation, education and civic
engagement. In 2022,
we had committed capital expenditures of $601
million, which
includes significant investments to deliver
better broadband
services to unserved or underserved
people in rural
communities throughout our service areas.
As part of our commitment to deliver fiber-to-the-home to more than 70% of the
company’s service area by 2026,
Consolidated completed
more than 400,000 fiber upgrades
in 2022. We marked an
important milestone of having 1
million fiber-capable
locations, and now have extended fiber
to nearly 40% of our
addressable market, a 4x increase from
2020. This expansion
included significant company
investments, grants at the federal, state and
local levels, and
funding from the Rural Digital Opportunities Fund
(RDOF).
Additionally, Consolidated continues to enter into public-private
partnership agreements with communities
across Northern New
England to upgrade and improve
rural broadband
service. In 2022, the company partnered
with the Maine
Connectivity Authority to bring multi-gig
broadband to 34,000
rural homes in Maine, funded in part
with a NTIA grant.
Working closely with the Southern Vermont Communications Union District (CUD),
Consolidated brought broadband to
12,000 homes in
Bennington County, including more than
400 previously
unserved homes. The CUD and Consolidated
continue to find
innovative ways to build fiber-to-the-home
for even the hardest
to reach homes in the area.
Consolidated Connects Educational Grant Program
Established in late 2020, the Consolidated
Connects Educational Grant Program provides funding for innovative,
technology-focused initiatives at K-12 schools within the company’s service
area. The learning programs advance creative student learning, develop 21st
century skills, promote critical thinking and utilize innovative
technologies.
Grants are awarded
annually through an online grant application process. In 2022, we awarded
$22,250 to schools through the grant program, serving 3,300 students in five
schools. Complete program information is available at
consolidated.com/cciconnects.
Consolidated Cares Employee Volunteering Program
We believe contributions
of time are just as important as financial gifts and are proud to support
employees who dedicate their time to serving the community.
In 2022, our employees
reported more than 6,600 volunteer hours, in support of important programs and
groups across our service area.
In 2022, the company
kicked off its Consolidated Cares program, which rewards employees who volunteer
at least 25 hours with a nonprofit organization by providing a $250
contribution to an organization of the employee’s choice. As a result of the program and our employees’
generosity with their time, Consolidated contributed $10,500 to 42 nonprofits
during the program’s inaugural year. The 42 employees earning the reward reported
nearly 2,000 hours of volunteer time in 2022.
Special Olympics Family
Festival (SOFF)
Every year since 1984,
on the third Saturday in September, Consolidated Communications employees, family
members and community volunteers host the Special Olympics Family Festival
(SOFF) in Mattoon, Illinois for Special Olympic Athletes from east central
Illinois. The daylong event, planned throughout the year by a volunteer
committee made up of Consolidated employees and other business and community
leaders, is filled with non-competitive games and activities in a carnival-like
atmosphere.
SOFF began as another
way for co-founder and former Consolidated Communications founding Board
Director and Chairman Richard A. Lumpkin to engage Consolidated Communications
employees in the community and included a few hundred athletes and
volunteers.
It has grown and
evolved, but the focus on inclusion, friendship and having fun remains. Today,
Special Olympics International calls it the “biggest event of its kind in the
world” with more than 600 Special Olympian Athletes and 1,200 volunteers.
Following two years of
virtual SOFF to keep athletes and volunteers safe during the worst of the Covid
pandemic, SOFF returned to an in-person event in 2022. Long-time volunteers,
supporters and families were ecstatic to gather once again for a day of
fun.
In 2023, SOFF will
celebrate 40 years of life-changing fun! More information is available at
consolidated.com/SOFF
Minnesota Community Fund
Over the past 60 years,
the Consolidated Communications Community Fund (formerly the Mankato Citizens Telephone
Company/HickoryTech Foundation) has given more than $6.5 million to nonprofit
organizations through-out southern Minnesota. The Community Fund is a donor-
advised fund, administered by the Mankato Area Foundation, with an advisory
board comprised of local Consolidated Communications employees who direct
grants and gifts.
Community Fund grants
support critical community needs such as hunger and homelessness, and provide
scholarships and funding for technology-focused educational programs. In 2022,
24 nonprofit organizations received grants totaling $150,000 from the Fund.
In addition, the
Consolidated Communications Community Fund supports a matching gift program and
a volunteer time benefit to employees in the region. These programs generated
nearly $10,000 and 1,000 hours of financial and volunteer support to local
nonprofit organizations throughout southern Minnesota.
California’s
Consolidated Communications Foundation
For nearly 30 years, the
Consolidated Communications Foundation has given over $5.5 million to communities
through local nonprofits and organizations that serve those in need and create
more vibrant communities.
Each year, the
Foundation is funded through the generosity of employees who make voluntary
payroll contributions matched by a company gift. In 2022, the Foundation gave
$142,890 to 148 nonprofits serving their communities.
Roseville Telephone
Museum
Since 1994, the
Roseville Telephone Museum, managed by Consolidated Communications, has been
home to one of the most extensive collections of antique telephones and
telecommunications memorabilia in the nation. The exhibits in the 4,500 square-foot
museum chronicle and celebrate more than a century of communications technology
and a unique perspective of the history of Roseville, California.
With financial support
from Consolidated Communications and a team of dedicated volunteers comprised
of current and retired employees, the Roseville Telephone Museum has been
called one of the best hidden gems in Northern California. Offering free
admission, the museum is a favorite destination for school children, families
and anyone with a sense of curiosity.
More information is available in Consolidated’s 2022 ESG Report.