What Telemedia does

TeleMedia is the trade name for Washington County Rural Telephone Cooperative, Inc. (dba Tele-Media Solutions), a member-owned rural telephone cooperative founded in 1952 and headquartered at 105 E. Railroad Street, Pekin, Indiana. The cooperative delivers telecommunication, information, and media services to members across a 120-square-mile exchange spanning portions of Clark, Floyd, Scott, and Washington Counties in south-central Indiana, where it operates as one of 8 telephone cooperatives and 35 independent telephone companies in the state. Membership is automatic upon subscription, with governance provided by a 7-member elected Board of Directors across four geographic districts (Borden, Chestnut Hill, Martinsburg, Pekin) and operations led by General Manager Chris Broy with a team of approximately 14 named staff across outside plant, central office, and management functions.

The company's core technology is a buried fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network supplemented by legacy DSL service. The fiber buildout began in spring 2020, with Phase 1 connecting 900 member homes plus 350 homes in Starlight, Indiana, and Phase 2 in 2021 adding 850 additional member homes, with further projects planned beyond 2024 to cover the balance of homes in the service area. The fiber network is engineered for rural terrain, including driveways up to 5 miles, and delivers symmetrical speeds up to 1 Gbps with reported network latency of 25-100ms. Central office infrastructure supports on-call technician response and a 24/7 technical support hotline; the network also implements DDOS black-holing mitigation, a four-strike DMCA graduated response system, and approved router ecosystems with custom firmware.

TeleMedia operates a subscription-based revenue model anchored by recurring monthly services. Residential fiber is offered in five tiers from 50/50 Mbps at $49.95/month to 1 Gig/1 Gig at $89.95/month, with legacy DSL tiers at 20/1, 30/3, and 50/3 Mbps, while business fiber tiers are segmented by employee count (≤10 and 10+) and priced from $99.95 to $399.95/month. Local voice telephone is $19.95/month with stacked add-on features, long-distance is usage-based at 5.9¢/minute or $27.50/month for 500 anytime minutes, and equipment is available via $4.95/month rental or $159.95 purchase. One-time fees include a $10 membership fee, $120 minimum labor charges, and reconnection/install fees. The Lifeline federal subsidy program provides up to $9.25/month off service for eligible low-income households. Member self-service is delivered through the SmartHub web and mobile app, and the cooperative participates in industry associations including NTCA, INECA, USTelecom, and IBTA, with federal Lifeline and Indiana Relay accessibility services layered onto the offering.

Name

Telemedia

Legal name

Washington County Rural Telephone Cooperative, Inc.

Website

https://telemedia.coop

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Member-owned rural telephone cooperative serving approximately 120 square miles across Clark, Floyd, Scott, and Washington Counties in south-central Indiana, delivering fiber and DSL broadband, local and long-distance voice, and managed router services to residential and small-business members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Telecommunications Services

NAICS

Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (51711)

SIC

Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813)

akta.pro primary industry

Fiber-to-the-Premises/Building (FTTP/FTTB) Operators (HDAIACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Rural Broadband & Cooperative Fiber Operators (HDAIACAG), Rural & Universal Service Fixed Broadband Providers (HDAIABAJ), Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP/FTTH) Broadband Providers (HDAIABAC)

Keywords

• Rural broadband services
• Fiber internet access
• Local telephone service
• Cooperative telecom services
• Long distance calling

Headquarters

HQ city

Pekin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Residential Fiber Internet Subscriptions: Monthly recurring fiber internet plans at 50/50 ($49.95), 100/100 ($54.95), 200/200 ($59.95), 600/600 ($69.95), and 1 Gig/1 Gig ($89.95). Internet-only option available; voice can be added for $19.95.
2. Residential DSL Internet Subscriptions: Monthly recurring DSL internet plans at 20/1, 30/3, and 50/3 Mbps (50/3 priced at $74.95).
3. Business Fiber Internet Subscriptions: Monthly recurring business fiber tiers: 50/50 ($99.95), 100/100 ($149.95), 200/200 ($199.95), 600/600 ($299.95), 1 Gig/1 Gig ($399.95), segmented by 10 or fewer / 10+ employees.
4. Local Voice Telephone Subscriptions: Unlimited local voice service at $19.95/month plus à la carte custom calling features ($1.95 each) and class calling features ($3.95 each). Voicemail packages $2.95/$3.95/$5.95.
5. Long Distance Services (Usage-Based): Residential/Business nationwide calling plans: 500 anytime minutes for $27.50/month (overages at 5.9¢/min), or 5.9¢/minute 24/7 flat per-minute plan (excludes Alaska/Hawaii). International, conference calling, and 800 toll free also billed on usage.
6. Equipment & Router Rental / Sales: Router rental at $4.95/month (includes free Pledge Support) or one-time purchase at $159.95. Drive-thru payment drop box and SmartHub account management offered.
7. Non-Recurring & One-Time Fees: Membership Fee ($10), Name Change on Account Fee ($18.50), Telephone Number Change Fee ($20), Returned Payment Fee ($48), Non-Pay Reconnect Fee ($48), Labor Charge ($120 minimum 1 hour), installation and material charges as applicable.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Core offering

TeleMedia delivers fiber-to-the-premises and DSL broadband internet, unlimited local telephone service, voicemail, long-distance calling, customer-premises router equipment, and member self-service tools (SmartHub) to residential and small-business members in south-central Indiana over a buried fiber network. Subscribers automatically become cooperative member-owners with capital credits allocation, and the cooperative runs an in-house technical support operation with on-call technicians for outages.

Product overview

TeleMedia operates a unified rural-cooperative telecom stack delivered by Washington County Rural Telephone Cooperative, Inc. (dba Tele-Media Solutions) to roughly 120 square miles across Clark, Floyd, Scott, and Washington Counties in southern Indiana. The portfolio is a single integrated service platform combining residential and business connectivity: residential Fiber Internet tiers (50/50, 100/100, 200/200, 600/600, 1 Gig/1 Gig), legacy DSL broadband (20/1, 30/3, 50/3 Mbps), and symmetric Business Fiber plans (50/50 through 1 Gig) form the broadband core; the Unlimited Local Voice Telephone Service (with stacked Custom Calling Features, Class Calling Features, Additional Voice Options, and Basic/Complete/Ultimate Voicemail Packages) and Long Distance Service form the telephony core. Members manage the entire platform through SmartHub (mobile/web account management) and can rent or purchase TeleMedia-supplied DSL/Fiber routers to qualify for free Pledge Support. Affordability programs (Lifeline, Internet Freedom Plan) and accessibility services (Relay Indiana) layer on top, while specialized programs (Capital Credits, Priority Support, Pledge Support, NCOS outage mapping) tie the offering together as a cooperative member-service experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SmartHub: SmartHub is TeleMedia's online account management platform/app that lets members manage all aspects of their TeleMedia account online from a mobile device.
• TeleMedia Pledge Support

Products and services

• Residential Fiber Internet Symmetric fiber-to-the-home broadband for residential members across tiers from 50/50 Mbps up to 1 Gig/1 Gig, with optional dialtone add-on ($19.95/mo). Available to households within TeleMedia's 120-square-mile service area in Clark, Floyd, Scott, and Washington Counties in Indiana.
• Business Fiber Internet Dedicated symmetric fiber plans for business accounts, with separate pricing for ≤10 employees and 10+ employees, ranging from 50/50 Mbps ($99.95/mo) to 1 Gig/1 Gig ($399.95/mo). Designed for office operations, point-of-sale, voice services, and cloud applications.
• DSL Internet Legacy DSL broadband service for areas not yet served by fiber, with tiers of 20/1, 30/3, and 50/3 Mbps (the 50/3 Mbps tier listed at $74.95/month). Used to deliver broadband over existing copper plant where fiber has not yet been deployed.
• Unlimited Local Voice Telephone Service Core unlimited local landline voice service for residential and business members at $19.95/month, with custom calling features (e.g., 3-way calling, call forwarding, call waiting) at $1.95 each and class calling features at $3.95 each.
• Voicemail Service (Basic / Complete / Ultimate) Three hosted voicemail tiers priced at $2.95, $3.95, and $5.95/month; Basic offers 1-minute/10-message/14-day retention, Complete adds home/guest mailboxes, and Ultimate includes E-Forward, 90-day future deliver, and out-call notification to 10-digit numbers.
• Long Distance Service Residential and business long-distance offering with two plans: 500 Anytime Minutes 24/7 for $27.50/month (5.9¢/min overage) or flat 5.9¢ per-minute 24/7 (all states except Alaska/Hawaii). Also includes prepaid Travel Cards, international calling, conference calling, and 800 toll-free billed via usage.
• SmartHub Account Management Web and mobile application that lets TeleMedia members manage billing, payments, Auto Pay enrollment, support requests, and outage notifications from a smartphone or browser.
• TeleMedia DSL/Fiber Routers (CPE) Customer-premises routers with built-in wireless capability available for rent at $4.95/month or one-time purchase at $159.95. Only TeleMedia-supplied or approved routers are guaranteed compatible with the network and qualify for free Pledge Support.
• Lifeline Support Program Enrollment and administration of the federal Lifeline program administered by USAC, providing eligible low-income households with up to a $9.25/month discount on phone or internet service.
• Relay Indiana / Hearing Impaired Services Free access to Indiana Telecommunications Relay Services (TDD/Voice/VCO/ASCII, Speech-to-Speech, Spanish relay) via 711 for hearing- or speech-impaired TeleMedia voice customers.
• Priority Support and Pledge Support Programs TeleMedia's two-tier support program: Priority Support provides after-hours/weekend outage response within minutes; Pledge Support covers non-outage issues (device connectivity, wireless, intermittent problems) with free on-site visits for eligible members.
• Internet Freedom Plan Standalone broadband offering for members who do not want local telephone service; an Internet-only plan with no phone line required, promoted on the homepage.

Quantifiable outcome

• Speeds of up to 1 Gigabit per second (1000 Mbps) symmetrical over fiber
• +4 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• NTCA (National Telecommunications Cooperative Association)coreOthersListed as a Professional Affiliation on TeleMedia's About page; NTCA represents rural telecommunications cooperatives nationally and provides advocacy, networking, and operational support to member co-ops like TeleMedia.
• INECA (Indiana Exchange Carrier Association)coreOthersListed as a Professional Affiliation on TeleMedia's About page; Indiana-based industry association for exchange carriers.
• USTelecomcoreOthersListed as a Professional Affiliation on TeleMedia's About page; USTelecom is the leading trade association for broadband and telecommunications companies in the U.S.
• IBTA (Indiana Broadband and Technology Association)coreOthersListed as a Professional Affiliation on TeleMedia's About page; Indiana state broadband and technology industry association.
• SmartHubcoreTechnology or IntegrationSmartHub web and mobile app powers account management, bill pay, Auto Pay enrollment, and notification for TeleMedia members; promoted as the central self-service platform across the website.
• USAC (Universal Service Administrative Company) - LifelinecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTeleMedia participates in the federal Lifeline program administered by USAC, which provides up to $9.25/month discount on phone or internet service for eligible low-income consumers.
• Relay Indiana (Indiana Telephone Relay Access Corporation)coreOthersTeleMedia provides access to Relay Indiana services for hearing/speech impaired members, including TDD/Voice/VCO/ASCII (711, 800-743-3333), Spanish relay (800-435-8590), and Speech-to-Speech (877-743-8231).

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Smithville Communications: Smithville is an Indiana-based fiber and communications provider with deep cooperative/legacy ILEC roots, offering residential gigabit fiber and business services — closely comparable to TeleMedia on fiber product mix and Indiana service territory.
• RTC Communications: RTC Communications is an Indiana-based member-owned rural telephone cooperative providing fiber broadband, voice, and business services across southern Indiana — directly comparable to TeleMedia in cooperative structure, rural Indiana footprint, and FTTH product portfolio.
• Perry-Spencer Communications: Perry-Spencer is a rural Indiana telephone cooperative providing broadband, voice, and managed services in southern Indiana counties — closely comparable to TeleMedia as a fellow Indiana rural telecom cooperative with member-owned structure.

Broad incumbents

• Metronet: Metronet is a multi-state fiber-to-the-home ISP operating extensively in Indiana with gigabit residential and business tiers — a broader incumbent competitor overlapping with TeleMedia's service area and product positioning, though privately funded at scale.
• AT&T Indiana: AT&T is the incumbent wireline carrier across Indiana offering fiber and DSL broadband, voice, and wireless — overlaps TeleMedia's service area as a much larger broadband competitor, particularly where AT&T has deployed fiber or fixed wireless 5G.
• Frontier Communications: Frontier is a large ILEC and fiber broadband provider with significant rural Indiana presence; competes with TeleMedia for residential and business broadband subscribers in overlapping rural counties, albeit at much larger scale.
• Consolidated Communications: Consolidated Communications (now part of Searchlight Capital portfolio) is a regional ILEC and fiber broadband provider with rural and suburban markets — broadly comparable to TeleMedia in serving rural broadband customers, though at much larger geographic scale.

Emerging players

• Hughes Network Systems (HughesNet): HughesNet is a satellite broadband provider competing for rural internet subscribers — relevant as a competing rural broadband alternative to TeleMedia in geographies where fiber buildout has not yet reached, though with lower latency and speed than TeleMedia's fiber tiers.
• Starlink (SpaceX): Starlink is a low-earth-orbit satellite broadband service that directly targets rural and underserved households — a credible emerging alternative to TeleMedia's fiber/DSL within its rural Indiana service territory, with rapid deployment advantages versus trenching.
• T-Mobile Home Internet: T-Mobile's fixed wireless home internet service targets rural and suburban households using 5G/LTE — an emerging competitor overlapping with TeleMedia's rural Indiana service territory where 5G coverage is available, competing on price and ease of self-installation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Telemedia