What Star Communications does

Star Communications, legally Star Telephone Membership Corporation, is a member-owned telecommunications cooperative founded in 1959 and headquartered in Clinton, North Carolina. It delivers bundled voice, video, broadband, security, and managed IT services to residents, businesses, and institutions across five southeastern North Carolina counties — Bladen, Columbus, Cumberland, Duplin, and Sampson — through a fully redundant, self-healing Fiber-to-the-Home network supplemented by legacy DSL in harder-to-reach areas.

The service portfolio spans residential and business internet (FTTH plus DSL with Wi-Fi 6 managed wireless and outdoor mesh extensions), Star TV and Star TV+ Streaming (over 290 channels, cloud DVR tiers, premium add-ons including HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, and ESPN Unlimited), hosted VoIP and business phone systems, plus an integrated security suite covering 24/7 professional monitoring, video surveillance, home automation, and Star Alert — a personal emergency response system with cellular, GPS, and fall detection. The wholesale and SMB product set adds Metro Ethernet (10 Mbps to gigabit), Istar Backup offsite data storage, Notify Phone Link SMS broadcasting, and an in-house Calix-based ProtectIQ / ExperienceIQ network management layer. A separate business line produces Telly- and Emmy-nominated commercial video work, indicating a creative production capability adjacent to the core telecom franchise.

Revenue is generated primarily through recurring monthly subscriptions on residential and business connectivity, video, voice, security monitoring, and home automation tiers, priced between roughly $5.99 (Wi-Fi equipment rental) and $117.50 (expanded TV package). Distribution combines two physical offices in Clinton and Elizabethtown, a third retail showroom at the Clinton Lowe's shopping center, regional Communications Consultants mapped to named territories, a mobile app for bill management and trouble tickets, 24/7 phone support, and a referral program offering $30 in internet credit per converted referral. Capital expenditure is largely subsidized through USDA grant programs; Star has secured approximately $50.6 million across the 2019 ReConnect Grant, the 2021 Community Connect Grant, and the 2023 ReConnect IV Grant, with a new LEED-targeted corporate headquarters under construction in Clinton. The company is governed by a member-elected board and led by CEO Donna C. Bullard with six functional vice presidents covering marketing/customer operations, finance, operations, HR, and engineering.

Name

Star Communications

Legal name

Star Telephone Membership Corporation

Website

https://starcom.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Star Communications is a 1959-founded member-owned cooperative providing Fiber-to-the-Home internet, TV, phone, and security services to residential and business customers across five southeastern North Carolina counties (Bladen, Columbus, Cumberland, Duplin, Sampson).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Telecommunications Services

NAICS

Telecommunications (517)

SIC

Cable & Other Pay Television Services (4841), Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Broadband CPE (DSL/Cable/Fiber Gateways) (HDAFAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Virtual MVPDs (Live TV Streaming Bundles) (MPABAHAE), Set-Top Box, CPE & Home Video Distribution Hardware (STB/Gateways/Remotes) (MPABAGAI)

Keywords

• Fiber optic internet
• Cable television services
• Residential telecommunications
• Business networking solutions
• Home security monitoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Elizabethtown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Internet Services: Monthly subscription fees for residential and business internet connectivity including DSL and Fiber-to-the-Home plans. Revenue generated from various speed tiers and managed Wi-Fi services.
2. Video/TV Services: Subscription revenue from Star TV and Star TV+ Streaming packages including basic (26 channels) and expanded (200+ channels) tiers. Additional revenue from premium channel add-ons (HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, Starz) and cloud DVR storage upgrades.
3. Phone/Voice Services: Monthly fees for residential and business phone services including hosted VoIP systems, unlimited long distance, and additional phone features.
4. Security Services: Recurring monthly monitoring fees for home and business security systems including alarm monitoring, home automation, video surveillance, and personal emergency response (Star Alert).
5. Home Automation: Monthly subscription fees for smart home control services including thermostat, lighting, and security automation with basic ($28.98/mo) and premium ($38.98/mo) tiers.
6. Star Alert PERS: Personal emergency response system monthly monitoring fees with standard ($29.95/mo) and fall detection ($34.95/mo) options. Includes one-time installation fee.
7. Business IT Services: Managed IT services including hosted IT consulting, network security auditing, managed services monitoring, and data warehousing/backup. Revenue from setup, monthly monitoring, and per-user fees.
8. Hosted IT Solutions: Hosted VoIP phone systems, cloud hosting, SMS texting services, and business phone solutions sold on subscription basis with varying tiers based on features and number of users.
9. Wi-Fi Equipment: Monthly rental fees for managed Wi-Fi routers (Standard $5.99/mo, Premium $7.99/mo) and mesh extenders. Includes installation fees.
10. Outdoor Wi-Fi: Monthly subscription for outdoor Wi-Fi coverage extension service at $14.99/month with $150 installation fee.
11. Video Production Services: Fee-based professional video production services for commercial ads, extended trade show videos, and local community content for businesses and organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Star Communications is a member-owned telecommunications cooperative that provides voice, video, data, and security services to residential and business customers in southeastern North Carolina. Its portfolio spans Fiber-to-the-Home and DSL internet, Star TV cable and Star TV+ streaming, hosted VoIP phone systems, managed Wi-Fi 6, and 24/7 home/business security monitoring, video surveillance, home automation, and Star Alert personal emergency response. It also offers business IT services, Metro Ethernet, cloud/hosted IT, video production, and mobile app-based account management.

Product overview

Star Communications is a telecommunications cooperative providing a bundled portfolio of internet, TV, phone, and security services primarily in southeastern North Carolina. The core offerings include DSL and Fiber-to-the-Home internet (with Wi-Fi 6 managed routers and mesh options), Star TV and Star TV+ Streaming (with cloud DVR and premium channel add-ons), hosted VoIP phone systems, and comprehensive security services including monitoring, video surveillance, home automation, and Star Alert personal emergency response. Business services encompass networking, hosted IT/cloud solutions, and Metro Ethernet connectivity. The company also offers value-added features including ProtectIQ and ExperienceIQ Wi-Fi management apps, outdoor Wi-Fi extensions, Notify Phone Link messaging, and award-winning video production services. Premium add-ons include HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, and Starz Encore channel packages, plus ESPN Unlimited sports streaming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Star TV+ Streaming: App-based streaming TV service available on Roku, Fire Stick, Apple TV, laptops, and smartphones with live channels and on-demand content.
• Star Alert
• Star TV
• Star Security
• Luminous

Products and services

• Star TV+ Streaming App-based streaming TV service for residential customers that delivers live channels and on-demand content through Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV devices, and smartphones, with no cable box required and self-installation capability.
• Star TV Traditional cable TV service delivered via set-top box to residential customers, offering over 209 channels including local favorites and HD programming with cloud DVR capability.
• DSL High-Speed Internet Digital Subscriber Line internet service for residential and business customers using existing phone lines, supporting Comtrend, ZHONE, and Visonet modems.
• Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) Internet Fiber optic internet service for residential and business customers providing high-speed connectivity through indoor or outdoor ONT modems (ZHONE or CALIX units) with Battery Backup Unit support.
• Managed Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 6) Carrier-class managed Wi-Fi service for residential and business customers using Wi-Fi 6 technology, available through Standard and Premium routers with mesh extender options and Calix CommandIQ app management.
• Outdoor Wi-Fi Extended Wi-Fi coverage service for outdoor residential spaces including porches, yards, and garages, offered at $14.99/month with $150 installation fee.
• Business TV HD television service designed for businesses such as restaurants, bars, and waiting rooms to provide customer entertainment.
• Hosted VoIP Phone Systems Hosted business phone solution providing scalable phone lines for business customers with features including paging, intercom, voicemail, ACD, music-on-hold, office-to-office transfer, and automatic dispatch.
• Business Networking Services Comprehensive IT services for business customers including LAN/WAN design, network evaluation, network security, Metro Ethernet, and Hosted IT solutions.
• Metro Ethernet Business-grade fiber optic connectivity providing dedicated bandwidth from 10 Mbps to Gigabit (1000 Mbps) speeds for business-critical traffic, leveraging the self-healing fiber ring.
• Hosted IT / Cloud Services Cloud and managed IT services for businesses, including secure server hosting, email, managed services with 24/7 monitoring, Wi-Fi solutions, firewall management, and data warehousing/backup delivered through Star's CO data centers.
• Istar Backup Offsite data backup and storage service for business customers, providing redundant backup copies of critical business data in geographic locations separate from the business premises.
• Security Monitoring 24/7 professional security monitoring service for homes and businesses, with packages including wireless controller, door/window contacts, motion detector, and keychain remote, plus Honeywell alarm panel support.
• Video Surveillance Remote video monitoring cameras for homes and businesses, with turret, bullet, and dome options supporting 4, 8, or 16 channel systems, night vision, remote viewing, and a free surveillance app.
• Home Automation Smart home integration service for residential customers controlling thermostats, lighting, schedules, and entertainment options remotely, with Basic ($28.98/month) and Premium ($38.98/month) packages including video monitoring.
• Star Alert (PERS) Personal Emergency Response System (PERS) for residential customers with cellular capability, GPS tracking, fall detection, and 4G LTE connection to a 24/7 monitoring center. Standard $29.95/month; Fall Detection $34.95/month.
• Video Production Services Award-winning video production service creating commercial ads, trade show videos, and local community content for businesses and organizations across traditional and social media.
• Notify Phone Link Automated SMS messaging service enabling businesses to send recorded messages to large groups via phone, text, or email for promotions, updates, reminders, and team alerts.
• Cloud DVR Cloud-based digital video recording service for residential TV customers, storing recorded content on Star servers. Standard (300GB, 3 streams) $9.95/month, Gold (500GB, 5 streams) $11.95/month, Platinum (1TB, 7 streams) $14.95/month.

Quantifiable outcome

• Connected 2,674 residents, 84 businesses, 117 farms, and 4 educational facilities through $24.9M ReConnect IV Grant
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Daniels & Daniels Construction CompanycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 November 2023Construction management firm selected to build the new Star Communications corporate headquarters at 1322 Sunset Ave, Clinton, NC. The new headquarters will serve as a hub for innovation and community engagement.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• TDS Telecom: Public rural telecommunications company serving small communities in 32 states with fiber broadband, TV, voice and managed IT - direct overlap with Star's residential and SMB service portfolio at broader scale.
• Cable ONE: Public operator focused on smaller U.S. cities and rural communities via its Sparklight brand - comparable residential internet, video and voice bundle strategy targeting non-urban markets.
• Brightspeed: Regional fiber and DSL provider serving smaller markets across the Midwest and Southeast with voice, broadband and managed services; an analogue to Star's incumbent-style rural broadband footprint now investing heavily in fiber.

Direct peers

• Metronet: Multi-state fiber-to-the-home ISP focused on mid-sized and small markets; comparable to Star in fiber-first residential broadband strategy and managed business service offerings.
• Point Broadband: Fiber-to-the-home provider built specifically for underserved rural and mid-sized markets across the Southeast and Midwest; comparable grant-funded fiber expansion model and small-market subscriber base.
• Atlantic Telephone Membership Corporation (ATMC): Member-owned telephone cooperative serving coastal North Carolina with fiber, video, voice, and managed business services - a near-identical operating model to Star Communications in an adjacent geography.
• Vyve Broadband: Rural and secondary-market cable broadband operator delivering internet, video, voice and business services to small communities - direct overlap with Star's cable/TV plus broadband bundle.
• Lumos Fiber: Regional fiber-to-the-home provider serving Tier-2 and rural markets across North Carolina, Virginia and neighboring states with residential gigabit and business services - directly comparable fiber-first strategy in adjacent Carolinas geography.
• Twin Lakes Telephone Cooperative: Tennessee-based telephone cooperative delivering fiber, voice, video and managed IT to rural Tennessee communities - a member-owned cooperative operating with a service-mix and structure comparable to Star Communications.
• Randolph Telephone Company: Member-owned telephone cooperative serving south-central North Carolina counties with broadband, voice and managed services - a North Carolina peer cooperative with overlapping rural geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@Star-Communications
• Facebookfacebook.com/starcomnc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/starcomnc
• Instagraminstagram.com/starcomnc
• Xx.com/starcomnc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Star Communications