Range
Range is a member-owned telephone cooperative founded in 1953 that provides fiber optic internet, VoIP, managed IT, and wholesale carrier services to residential, SMB, and carrier customers across Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and South Dakota via 4,700+ miles of owned fiber.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1953
- HeadquartersForsyth, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Range does
Range Telephone Cooperative, Inc., founded in 1953 and headquartered in Forsyth, Montana, is a member-owned telecommunications cooperative operating under the unified "Range" brand across Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and South Dakota. The company delivers fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) internet, VoIP phone systems (3CX), managed Wi-Fi (Ultimate Wi-Fi, Range Smart Business), managed IT services, and wholesale carrier services (dark fiber IRU, carrier-grade ethernet, DWDM wavelength 10G-100G, wireless backhaul) over an owned network of 4,700-6,500+ miles of fiber optic cable spanning 30,000 square miles and serving over 13,000-14,500 broadband subscribers across 30+ communities. Its underlying technology stack includes Dense Wave Division Multiplexing for optical transport with sub-50ms switching, proprietary SmartHub and Smart Home mobile applications for customer self-service, and AI-embedded cybersecurity tools (Bark, ProtectIQ, ExperienceIQ).
Range generates revenue through recurring monthly subscriptions across four primary streams: residential internet ($60-$80/month tiered plans), business internet plus 3CX VoIP and Managed IT services targeting SMB and mid-market accounts, wholesale carrier services (IRU dark fiber agreements and carrier-grade transport), and legacy landline telephone services ($25/month starting). The company serves three primary customer segments — residential households, small-to-mid-market businesses (healthcare, hospitality, retail, construction, professional services), and wholesale carriers — plus a developing AI/hyperscale data center segment via the $700M Heartland Fiber Project joint venture with DCN and WIN Technology announced in May 2026, which will add a 2,000-mile long-haul route spanning seven states from Denver to Chicago. Distribution combines four local offices, a 24/7 phone sales line, website self-service, and a dedicated wholesale carrier sales team. The company employs 160+ communications professionals across engineering, construction, project management, operations, and network maintenance, led by CEO Rob Johnstone.
Range firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Range
- Legal name
- Range Telephone Cooperative, Inc.
- Website
- https://range.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1953
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Range is a member-owned telephone cooperative founded in 1953 that provides fiber optic internet, VoIP, managed IT, and wholesale carrier services to residential, SMB, and carrier customers across Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and South Dakota via 4,700+ miles of owned fiber.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Range industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fiber Internet and Telecommunications Services
- NAICS
- Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (51711), Wired and Wireless Telecommunications (except Satellite) (5171)
- SIC
- Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813), Communications Services, Nec (4899)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Rural Broadband & Cooperative Fiber Operators (HDAIACAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Rural & Universal Service Fixed Broadband Providers (HDAIABAJ), Business/Enterprise Fixed Connectivity Providers (SME/Enterprise Broadband) (HDAIABAI), Fiber Backhaul to Towers & Small Cells (Fronthaul/Midhaul/Backhaul) (HDAIAKAK)
Keywords
Where Range is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Forsyth
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Range business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Residential Internet Services: Monthly subscription fees for high-speed fiber internet to residential customers with tiered plans (1 GIG at $80/mo, Premium at $60/mo) including voice service
- Business Internet & Communications: Monthly subscription fees for business fiber internet, VoIP phone systems, and managed IT services targeting small to mid-market businesses
- Wholesale Carrier Services: Dark fiber IRU agreements, carrier-grade ethernet (10Mbps to 10Gbps), wavelength services (10G to 100G), and wireless backhaul for LTE/5G networks serving other carriers
- Managed IT Services: Monthly fees for cybersecurity protection, workstation/server management, SAAS, cloud and AI services, and email protection
- Landline Telephone Services: Monthly subscription for landline phone service starting at $25/mo with affordable long-distance plans
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | 1 GIG fiber plan - 1000/1000 Mbps |
| Subscription | Monthly | Premium Internet - 100 Mbps |
| Subscription | Monthly | Ultimate Wi-Fi add-on |
| Subscription | Monthly | Range Voice landline |
| Subscription | Monthly | Range Smart Business Wi-Fi |
| Subscription | Monthly | Managed IT Services |
| Subscription | Monthly | 2026 Fiber-to-the-Home Investment Projects |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels10 records
Range product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Range Telephone Cooperative, Inc. (d/b/a Range) provides fiber-to-the-premises broadband internet, VoIP phone systems, managed Wi-Fi, and managed IT services to residential and business customers across rural Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and South Dakota. It also sells wholesale carrier services including dark fiber, carrier-grade Ethernet, wavelength services, and wireless backhaul to other telecommunications operators and is co-investing in the 2,000-mile Heartland Fiber Project spanning seven states.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SmartHub: Online account management system for residential and commercial members, allowing bill payment, usage tracking, service issue reporting, and paperless billing enrollment.
- Ultimate Wi-Fi
- Stream Now
- Range Smart Business
- 3CX VoIP Phone System
Products and services
- Residential Fiber Internet Tiered fiber-to-the-premises broadband internet service for households with no data caps, no throttling, no contracts, and free installation. Plans include Premium 100 Mbps at $60/mo and 1 GIG (1000/1000 Mbps) at $80/mo.
- Ultimate Wi-Fi Whole-home managed Wi-Fi add-on service ($10/mo) delivering enhanced coverage, device capacity, network security via ProtectIQ, parental controls via ExperienceIQ, free installation, optimization, and onsite support.
- Range Voice (Landline Telephone) Residential landline telephone service starting at $25/mo with affordable long-distance plans and calling feature bundles included.
- Business Fiber Internet High-speed fiber internet connectivity tailored to small and mid-market businesses such as restaurants, retail stores, professional services, healthcare facilities, and entertainment venues.
- 3CX VoIP Business Phone System Business-grade VoIP phone system with flexible pricing, mobile app integration, unlimited long distance, and customizable features for SMBs and mid-market organizations.
- Range Smart Business Wi-Fi Self-managed Wi-Fi network solution for small businesses ($30/mo with Range Business Internet) with business-grade cybersecurity, privacy protections, network control via cellphone, automatic 24/7 cellular backup, and built-in customer sales lead generation.
- Managed IT Services Full-suite managed IT offering for SMBs and mid-market customers covering workstation/server RMM, SAAS, cloud and AI services, email protection, cybersecurity awareness training, and real-time monitoring.
- Wholesale Dark Fiber Dark fiber IRU (Indefeasible Right of Use) agreements sold to other carriers and network operators needing long-haul backbone capacity across Range's regional fiber footprint.
- Wholesale Carrier-Grade Ethernet Carrier-grade Ethernet services from 10 Mbps to 10 Gbps sold to other telecommunications carriers for network capacity expansion and interconnection.
- Wholesale Wavelength Services Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM) optical transport wavelength services from 10G to 100G with sub-50ms switching on protected diverse routes for carrier and hyperscale customers.
- Wholesale Wireless Backhaul Wireless backhaul fiber services for LTE and 5G networks serving mobile network operators across the western United States.
- SmartHub Account Management Platform Online and mobile self-service platform for residential and commercial members to pay bills, track usage, report service issues, enroll in paperless billing, set up auto-pay, and manage their Range account.
- Range Smart Home App Mobile and web application for GigaSpire router users providing parental controls, guest networks, speed testing, password management, and network security features for the connected home.
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 10x faster than cable with 1-gig symmetrical upload and download speeds
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Range
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Range technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
AI capability4 records
Feature6 records
Range partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Vantage Point SolutionsminorSouth Dakota-based engineering firm providing engineering services for Range's fiber infrastructure project in southeast Crook County and northeast Weston County, Wyoming. Project involves approximately 50 miles of fiber installation for 60 rural customers.
- DCN (Dakota Carrier Network)coreRegional backbone fiber provider and co-investor in the $700 million Heartland Fiber Project, a 2,000-mile long-haul fiber network spanning seven states from Denver to Chicago. DCN is owned by 13 North Dakota-based independent broadband services providers.
- WIN TechnologycoreRegional backbone fiber provider and co-investor in the Heartland Fiber Project. WIN Technology operates a 22,000-mile fiber network and strategic data centers across Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, and Michigan.
- University of WyomingminorAcademic partnership for AI and fiber-optic technology research to monitor Wyoming highways for traffic and weather using Distributed Acoustic Sensing and AI-based computer vision. Pilot study on Highway 85 near Cheyenne.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Range competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Consolidated Communications: Regional fiber and broadband provider serving rural and small-town markets across 20+ states. Recently taken private, making it a close comparable in business model and customer base to Range's cooperative structure.
- Ziply Fiber: Regional fiber ISP serving rural and small-town communities across the Pacific Northwest (WA, OR, ID, MT). Operates similar FTTP networks targeting residential, business, and wholesale customers in geographies comparable to Range's territory.
- Brightspeed: Regional fiber overbuilder targeting rural and small-town markets across 20 states, backed by Apollo. Pursues fiber expansion similar to Range's strategy and competes for BEAD-funded rural broadband deployments.
- Zayo Group: Wholesale fiber network operator providing dark fiber, wavelengths, and ethernet services across long-haul and metro routes in North America. Most directly comparable to Range's wholesale carrier services business and a likely competitor/partner on Heartland.
- TDS Telecom: Telecommunications company providing broadband, voice, and managed IT services to small and rural communities across 30+ states. Closely comparable to Range in customer profile (rural/small-town), service mix (fiber, voice, managed services), and target segments (residential + SMB).
- Allo Communications: Fiber-to-the-premise provider serving communities across Nebraska, Colorado, and Arizona with residential, business, and enterprise services. Highly comparable cooperative-like community-focused operating model and rural fiber buildout strategy.
Broad incumbents
- Frontier Communications: Large wireline incumbent expanding fiber broadband across rural and suburban markets. While substantially larger than Range, Frontier competes for the same residential and SMB fiber customers in adjacent geographies and is also leveraging BEAD funding.
- Lumen Technologies: Large incumbent carrier with nationwide fiber network offering residential, enterprise, and wholesale carrier services including wavelengths, ethernet, and dark fiber. Comparable to Range's wholesale/carrier services business but at vastly greater scale.
Emerging players
- Starlink (SpaceX): LEO satellite broadband service directly competing for unserved/underserved rural customers across Range's service territory. Represents the primary competitive threat to Range's residential broadband value proposition.
Others
- Crown Castle: Tower and fiber infrastructure provider operating fiber backhaul to cell towers and small cells nationwide. Comparable to Range's wholesale wireless backhaul offering and a potential partner/competitor for carrier services along Range's routes.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Range social profiles
Digital presenceRange financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Range leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Range subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Range funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Range M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Range
What does Range do?
Range Telephone Cooperative, Inc. (d/b/a Range) provides fiber-to-the-premises broadband internet, VoIP phone systems, managed Wi-Fi, and managed IT services to residential and business customers across rural Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and South Dakota. It also sells wholesale carrier services including dark fiber, carrier-grade Ethernet, wavelength services, and wireless backhaul to other telecommunications operators and is co-investing in the 2,000-mile Heartland Fiber Project spanning seven states.
Is Range a public or private company?
Range is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Range founded?
Range was founded in 1953. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Range based?
Range is headquartered in Forsyth, United States, in the North America region.
How does Range make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Residential Internet Services are the primary driver. The others are business Internet & Communications, wholesale Carrier Services, managed IT Services and landline Telephone Services.
Who are Range's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Consolidated Communications, Ziply Fiber, Brightspeed, Zayo Group, TDS Telecom and Allo Communications. Broad incumbents are Frontier Communications and Lumen Technologies. Starlink (SpaceX) is listed as an emerging player. Crown Castle is listed as an others.
Does Range have an API?
No public API is recorded for Range.
What industry is Range in?
Range's product category is Fiber Internet and Telecommunications Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIACAG, Rural Broadband & Cooperative Fiber Operators, with a secondary code of HDAIABAJ, Rural & Universal Service Fixed Broadband Providers. Its NAICS code is 51711 and its SIC code is 4813.