Big River Communications
Big River Communications is a privately held competitive local exchange carrier providing Internet, telephone, VoIP, and wholesale telecom services on its own national network. Founded in 1984 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, it serves residential, business, and carrier customers in underserved Midwestern and rural markets.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1984
- HeadquartersCape Girardeau, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Big River Communications does
Big River Communications is a privately held, full-service competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC) headquartered in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, that has operated continuously for over 30 years. Originally founded in 1984 as LDD, Inc. as a long-distance reseller, the company pivoted into local telephone services following the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and was acquired and rebranded as Big River Telephone Company, LLC in 2001 by a group of independent investors. In 2004, the company established a national VoIP switching network that became the foundation for its residential, business, enterprise, and wholesale service lines. A sister company, Big River Broadband, was created in 2009 to administer American Recovery and Reinvestment Act federal funding aimed at delivering broadband to schools, healthcare providers, and underserved communities. The company is led by CEO Jerry Howe and operates with a headcount of 51–100 employees.
The company's core product portfolio is built on owned network infrastructure and includes high-speed Internet delivered via 4G LTE wireless broadband (2–7 Mbps typical download) and gigabit fiber, local and long-distance telephone service, VoIP with enhanced features, and enterprise and wholesale solutions. Technology is sourced from a partner ecosystem that includes Microsoft, Cisco, Nokia, AWS, Equinix, MetaSwitch, Bandwidth, Dell, Motorola, HughesNet, Verizon, CenturyLink/Lumen, AT&T, and others. The My Services Manager portal provides customer self-service for feature management, data usage tracking, and payments. Regulatory certifications as a CLEC and interexchange carrier span at least seven U.S. states (Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Tennessee), and wholesale services are described as extending to overseas customers.
The business model is primarily subscription-based recurring revenue across three core segments: residential customers in rural and underserved Midwestern markets where major carriers are absent; small-to-medium business customers (including eRate-eligible education) on tiered Select, Prime, and Ultra plans; and enterprise and wholesale customers, the latter including cable providers, utility providers, and other carriers purchasing backbone services at a fraction of the cost of building their own switches. Residential and SMB contracts are typically 24 months with early termination fees of $100–$250; month-to-month options are available with autopay. Go-to-market is direct sales via enterprise and residential web portals, a toll-free number, and a walk-in office in Cape Girardeau, with an emphasis on word-of-mouth and community trust in served geographies. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed.
Big River Communications firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Big River Communications
- Legal name
- Big River Broadband, LLC
- Website
- https://bigrivercom.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1984
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Big River Communications is a privately held competitive local exchange carrier providing Internet, telephone, VoIP, and wholesale telecom services on its own national network. Founded in 1984 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, it serves residential, business, and carrier customers in underserved Midwestern and rural markets.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Big River Communications industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Telecommunications Services
- NAICS
- Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (51711), Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (517112)
- SIC
- Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813), Radiotelephone Communications (4812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs) (HDAIABAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Wholesale Access & Last-Mile Leasing (local loops, bitstream, unbundling) (HDAIAEAH)
Keywords
Where Big River Communications is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cape Girardeau
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Big River Communications business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Internet Service: Monthly recurring subscription revenue from high-speed Internet services including LTE broadband and gigabit fiber options. Revenue generated through tiered rate plans with data allotments.
- Telephone/Voice Services: Recurring revenue from local and long-distance telephone service, VoIP services, and associated features including voicemail, call forwarding, and conference calling.
- Enterprise Solutions: Customized network solutions for enterprise customers including infrastructure services and product platforms.
- Wholesale Services: Wholesale service offerings to cable providers, utility providers, and other companies that utilize the Big River network to enhance their end customers' services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Select - Contract Plan |
| Subscription | Monthly | Prime - Contract Plan |
| Subscription | Monthly | Ultra - Contract Plan |
| Subscription | Monthly | Select Business - Contract |
| Subscription | Monthly | Prime Business - Contract |
| Subscription | Monthly | Ultra Business - Contract |
| Subscription | Monthly | Month-to-Month (No Contract) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Big River Communications product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Big River Communications is a full-service competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC) that delivers high-speed Internet (LTE broadband and gigabit fiber), local and long-distance telephone, and VoIP services to residential, business, enterprise, and wholesale customers. The company owns and operates a national VoIP switching network established in 2004, and focuses on rural and underserved Midwestern US markets not served by major carriers, while also providing customized enterprise and wholesale network infrastructure solutions.
Product overview
Big River Communications is a full-service telecommunications provider offering a unified product portfolio centered on Internet, telephone, and VoIP services. The core offerings include High-Speed Internet (LTE/Broadband and Gigabit Fiber), Telephone Service (local and long-distance), and VoIP solutions—all built on the company's nationally-operated VoIP switching network established in 2004. For business customers, the portfolio extends to Enterprise Solutions, Wholesale Services, Custom Solutions, and Business Solutions (Internet, phone, data, and eRate). Customers can manage their accounts through the My Services Manager Portal. The company differentiates itself by owning and operating its national network infrastructure, serving primarily rural and underserved communities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- High-Speed Internet (LTE/Broadband) Affordable high-speed Internet service delivered via LTE wireless broadband towers, providing residential and business connectivity in underserved rural areas with typical download speeds of 2-7 Mbps.
- Gigabit Fiber High-speed fiber optic Internet service offering gigabit-level connectivity for residential customers.
- Telephone Service Local and long-distance telephone service including VoIP-based phone solutions with enhanced features such as voicemail, call forwarding, and conference calling.
- VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
- Enterprise Solutions
- Wholesale Services
- Custom Solutions
- Business Solutions
Companies that use Big River Communications
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Big River Communications technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Big River Communications partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- MicrosoftcoreTechnology partner providing software and cloud integration capabilities for Big River's telecommunications services.
- HughesNetcoreSatellite Internet technology partner supporting rural broadband service delivery in areas without terrestrial options.
- MetaSwitchcoreVoice switching and telecommunications equipment provider supporting VoIP and traditional voice services.
- BandwidthcoreCloud communications platform provider for voice and messaging services.
- DellcoreHardware infrastructure partner providing servers and computing equipment for network operations.
- MotorolacoreWireless communications equipment provider for LTE network infrastructure.
- Amazon Web ServicescoreCloud infrastructure partner for hosting and scalable computing resources.
- CiscocoreNetworking equipment provider for routers, switches, and network infrastructure.
- NokiacoreNetwork infrastructure equipment provider for telecommunications network buildout.
- EquinixcoreData center colocation provider for network interconnection points.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Big River Communications competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Viasat: Satellite broadband provider competing for the same rural, underserved households that Big River targets with LTE fixed wireless—relevant as a technology alternative rather than a network operator.
- Starlink (SpaceX): LEO satellite broadband rapidly capturing rural U.S. subscribers with higher speeds and no contract—an emerging competitive threat to Big River's LTE-based rural broadband base.
Direct peers
- Metronet: Pure-play fiber-to-the-home builder serving small and mid-sized markets across the Midwest and Southeast with gigabit broadband—an increasingly direct competitor for Big River's residential fiber and SMB customers.
- Consolidated Communications: Multi-state CLEC/ILEC serving primarily rural and small-town markets across 20+ states with broadband, voice, and enterprise services—directly comparable to Big River's footprint, customer mix, and CLEC-driven business model.
- TDS Telecom: Regional ILEC/CLEC operating in 30+ states with a mix of fiber, broadband, and voice services to rural and small-town customers, mirroring Big River's rural local-incumbent model and multi-state CLEC structure.
- Shenandoah Telecommunications (Shentel): Regional CLEC providing fiber, broadband, and wireless services across the mid-Atlantic and Midwest, with both retail and wholesale carrier-to-carrier revenue streams comparable to Big River's structure.
- Frontier Communications: Large rural-focused ILEC/CLEC aggressively deploying fiber-to-the-home in small markets across the Midwest and Southeast—an apt direct peer for Big River's rural fiber and broadband strategy, though at meaningfully greater scale.
Broad incumbents
- Lumen Technologies (CenturyLink): National incumbent carrier and a Big River interconnection partner that competes in overlapping Midwest and Southeast territories with enterprise, wholesale, and fiber services—an established broad incumbent in the same space.
- T-Mobile US (Home Internet): National wireless carrier expanding 5G fixed wireless access into rural markets; competes with Big River's LTE fixed wireless on price, speed, and brand, often in exactly the underserved geographies Big River targets.
- AT&T: National incumbent whose footprint defines the gaps Big River fills in rural Midwest markets; a major interconnection partner and the principal competitor in adjacent small-town geographies.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Big River Communications social profiles
Digital presenceBig River Communications financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Big River Communications leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Big River Communications subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Big River Communications funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Big River Communications 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 Big River Communications
What does Big River Communications do?
Big River Communications is a full-service competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC) that delivers high-speed Internet (LTE broadband and gigabit fiber), local and long-distance telephone, and VoIP services to residential, business, enterprise, and wholesale customers. The company owns and operates a national VoIP switching network established in 2004, and focuses on rural and underserved Midwestern US markets not served by major carriers, while also providing customized enterprise and wholesale network infrastructure solutions.
Is Big River Communications a public or private company?
Big River Communications is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Big River Communications founded?
Big River Communications was founded in 1984. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Big River Communications based?
Big River Communications is headquartered in Cape Girardeau, United States, in the North America region.
How does Big River Communications make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Internet Service is the primary driver. The others are telephone/Voice Services, enterprise Solutions and wholesale Services.
Who are Big River Communications's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Viasat and Starlink (SpaceX). Direct peers are Metronet, Consolidated Communications, TDS Telecom, Shenandoah Telecommunications (Shentel) and Frontier Communications. Broad incumbents are Lumen Technologies (CenturyLink), T-Mobile US (Home Internet) and AT&T.
Does Big River Communications have an API?
No public API is recorded for Big River Communications.
What industry is Big River Communications in?
Big River Communications's product category is Telecommunications Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIABAB, Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs), with a secondary code of HDAIAEAH, Wholesale Access & Last-Mile Leasing (local loops, bitstream, unbundling). Its NAICS code is 51711 and its SIC code is 4813.