InterBel Telephone Cooperative Inc.

What InterBel Telephone Cooperative Inc. does

InterBel Telephone Cooperative Inc. is a member-owned telecommunications cooperative incorporated in 1962 and headquartered in Eureka, Montana. It provides fiber internet, digital voice, security monitoring, and business connectivity services to approximately 3,800 members across rural Northwest Montana, including the communities of Eureka, Rexford, Fortine, Trego, Stryker, Olney, and West Valley (Kalispell). The cooperative's network is a hybrid infrastructure: a fiber-and-copper DSL network reaches roughly 90% of potential customers in its service area, while a Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) network serves approximately 10%. Supporting technical assets include a 24-site Ethernet ring for redundancy, 100% IP soft-switch conversion (completed in 2006), and a minority ownership stake in a Middle Mile provider for backhaul transport.

The company generates revenue primarily through recurring monthly subscriptions: residential fiber plans range from $79/month (Fiber 100) to $125/month (Fiber Gig), digital voice is priced at $19/month, business fiber tiers (Basic 300Mbps, Pro 1Gbps, Enterprise 2Gbps Point-to-Point) carry custom pricing with SLA guarantees, and security packages (Home Guard Starter, Home Guard Plus, Business Shield) add incremental recurring revenue. Additional revenue streams include email hosting ($25/year) and capital credits retirement distributions to members. Go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer website self-service (Check Coverage → Pick Plan → Install) with consultative business sales including site surveys, plus a community-led growth model reinforced by local sponsorships, scholarships, rodeo livestreams, and 4-H support.

InterBel operates as a standalone cooperative without a parent company or external equity backing; it is self-sustaining through member patronage, USDA rural broadband grants (most recently part of a $313M December 2024 allocation), and its long-standing Eureka Rural Development Partners (ERDP) joint initiative with Lincoln Electric Cooperative. The organization employs 40+ staff led by General Manager/CEO Jason Moothart and CFO Kevin Hodik, with capital allocated via an elected board (Board President Mike Hedges) and surpluses returned to members through periodic capital credits retirements.

Name

InterBel Telephone Cooperative Inc.

Legal name

InterBel Telephone Cooperative Inc.

Website

https://interbel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

InterBel Telephone Cooperative is a member-owned rural telecom cooperative founded in 1962, delivering fiber internet, voice, security, and business connectivity services to approximately 3,800 members across Northwest Montana communities including Eureka and Kalispell.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Telecommunications Services

NAICS

Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (51711), Wired Telecommunications Carriers (517111)

SIC

Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813)

akta.pro primary industry

Fiber ISPs (FTTH/FTTP Retail Providers) (HDAIADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Rural Broadband & Cooperative Fiber Operators (HDAIACAG), Rural & Universal Service Fixed Broadband Providers (HDAIABAJ), Business/Enterprise Fixed Connectivity Providers (SME/Enterprise Broadband) (HDAIABAI)

Keywords

• Rural fiber internet
• Telecommunications cooperative
• Business voice solutions
• Home security monitoring
• Hosted VoIP services

Headquarters

HQ city

Eureka

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Residential Internet Service: Monthly subscription fees for fiber internet plans ranging from Fiber 100 to Fiber Gig. Includes unlimited data and symmetrical speeds. Revenue from 3,800+ member households.
2. Business Fiber Solutions: Business internet plans with tiered options (Basic, Pro, Enterprise) including static IPs, managed Wi-Fi, SLA guarantees, and bundled voice/security services.
3. Voice Services: Digital Voice plans at $19/month for residential with unlimited US/Canada calling, voicemail-to-email, caller ID. Business voice solutions with hunt groups and 20+ features.
4. Security Solutions: Home and business security monitoring including Home Guard Starter, Home Guard Plus, and Business Shield packages with professional monitoring, cameras, and smart home integration.
5. Email Hosting: Custom email hosting service for $25/year plus domain name costs.
6. Capital Credits: As a cooperative, margins are allocated as capital credits to members based on purchases. Board periodically retires capital credits and issues refund checks to members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

InterBel Telephone Cooperative provides gig-speed fiber internet, digital voice, hosted business communications, and monitored home and business security to residential and commercial customers across rural Northwest Montana. Services are delivered over a member-owned hybrid fiber/DSL network with growing fiber-to-the-home coverage, and are sold primarily through recurring monthly subscriptions. The cooperative also offers custom email hosting and reinvests margins into local scholarships, broadband adoption, and community grants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• InterBel Unified Communications: Cloud-based hosted phone and business communication solutions including VoIP, call routing, video conferencing, and auto-attendant features.
• InterBel Security

Products and services

• Residential Fiber Internet

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,300+ homes connected to 100% fiber network in Eureka alone
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Eureka Rural Development Partners (ERDP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1998Formed in 1998 by Lincoln Electric and InterBel, ERDP has led to many significant projects and millions of dollars in grants over the years. The partnership funds major infrastructure projects and cable routes, enabling rural broadband expansion in Lincoln County.
• Middle Mile Providers (Minority Ownership)coreTechnology or IntegrationInterBel has a minority ownership interest in one of its Middle Mile providers. The company purchases Middle Mile capacity and services from other entities for routes approximately 50 to 100 miles long between its service area and the closest Internet nodes. This partnership is essential for connecting rural customers to the broader Internet.
• Lincoln Electric CooperativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginally operated jointly with InterBel Telephone Cooperative starting in 1962. The two cooperatives share a combined Corporate Office facility north of Eureka town. Joint formation enabled rural electrification and telephone service expansion in the region.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Frontier Communications: Major US fiber operator with extensive rural and suburban footprint delivering broadband, voice, and enterprise services. Comparable wired broadband offering with overlap in rural and small-town markets.
• TDS Telecom: US rural-focused incumbent wireline and fiber operator (subsidiary of Telephone and Data Systems). Broader portfolio across many states, but directly comparable rural fiber-to-the-home, voice, and managed business services.
• Consolidated Communications: Large US wireline carrier with significant rural and small-metro fiber footprint providing broadband, voice, and managed services. Comparable broadband and voice offerings, but at far broader geographic scale than InterBel.

Emerging players

• Vexus Fiber: PE-backed fiber-to-the-home operator building gigabit networks in small and mid-sized Texas, Louisiana, and New Mexico markets. Comparable fiber-only strategy and community-focused positioning, though operating in different geographies.
• ALLO Communications: Nebraska-headquartered fiber-to-the-premises operator expanding into small and mid-sized markets across the Midwest and West. Comparable pure-play fiber strategy targeting underserved communities similar to InterBel's rural footprint.

Direct peers

• Blackfoot Communications: Member-owned Montana and Idaho telecommunications cooperative providing fiber internet, hosted voice, and business solutions. Comparable cooperative ownership, regional footprint in the Northern Rockies, and fiber-to-the-home strategy.
• Range Telephone Cooperative: Wyoming-based rural telephone cooperative delivering fiber broadband, voice, and security services to members in southeastern Montana and northeastern Wyoming. Direct cooperative peer with similar FTTH buildout in low-density territory.
• Mid-Rivers Communications: Montana-based rural telephone cooperative providing fiber broadband, voice, and business services across central Montana. Closely comparable rural cooperative telco with similar member-owned model, FTTH buildout, and triple-play offering in low-density territory.
• 3 Rivers Communications: Montana rural telephone cooperative serving central Montana with fiber, voice, and managed business services. Comparable cooperative structure, FTTH migration, and rural customer base directly mirror InterBel's operating profile.

Others

• Starlink (SpaceX): LEO satellite broadband service from SpaceX targeting rural and underserved households with self-install kits and advertised speeds competitive with terrestrial broadband. Not a direct competitor in cooperative markets, but a key substitute for rural customers outside InterBel's fiber footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/InterBel_Tel
• Facebookfacebook.com/InterbelTelephone
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/interbel-telephone

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 InterBel Telephone Cooperative Inc.