Empowering Families in New Technological Era

Nuvera Communications provides fast and reliable fiber broadband services to its customers in southern rural Minnesota—creating connectivity in a rapidly and continually evolving technological environment.

Nuvera was established in 1905 by farmers to provide local phone services. Almost 120 years after its inception, Nuvera is still going strong, serving rural communities by creating modern day connections through its new fiber broadband network that no doubt would have astounded its original subscribers.

In 2021, Nuvera announced a transformational $200 million investment to build a new fiber network for the 15 communities it currently serves—with plans to also expand into new small town and rural communities as a regional service provider.

It’s vital to continue advancing broadband networks and technology into rural parts of the state, and we couldn’t have facilitated this plan without our partnership with CoBank.

“Two converging situations occurred since 2020 to propel us into this investment. First, there has been a major shift in technology—we’re rapidly entering into a new era where consumers are becoming more and more dependent on the internet. And second, the global pandemic shifted everyday needs dramatically,” said Glenn Zerbe, president and CEO of Nuvera. “The significance of internet connectivity has taken a big leap forward. Now more than ever, access to a reliable network has a major impact on the quality of life and economic vitality within rural communities.”

To facilitate the transformation to a new fiber network, Nuvera turned to its long-time financial partner, CoBank, to secure $130 million total debt financing. The multi-million dollar investment plan enabled Nuvera to rapidly expand its fiber network’s reach from 11% of customers to 53%—and is well on its way to reach 83% over the next several years.

“This investment will create a superior and reliable fiber network,” Zerbe said. “It’s vital to continue advancing broadband networks and technology into rural parts of the state, and we couldn’t have facilitated this plan without our partnership with CoBank. We both care deeply about rural America. Our values and missions align, and now the positive ripple effect of that alignment is creating a meaningful impact on the communities we serve with our new fiber network.”

As demand for fiber continues to grow, Nuvera is optimistic about the future, with promising plans to expand its footprint into more rural areas of the state that do not currently have fiber. The communications company understands this is just the beginning, as technology advancements will continue to create opportunities for Nuvera to connect customers.

“We like to say we are at the end of the beginning of this endeavor—it’s taken a lot of work to get this far, but we are seeing the benefits, not only for our company, but also for our communities. Nuvera’s new fiber network is a foundational investment that connects people to life—with the endurance to serve consumers for decades to come—empowering families, businesses and communities as we embrace this new technological age,” Zerbe said.