What Hartelco does

Hartelco, legally Hartington Telecommunications, Inc., is a privately held rural telecommunications company headquartered at 103 West Centre Street in Hartington, Nebraska. Founded in 1905 as the Cedar County Farmers Telephone Company, it has operated continuously under successive names (Hartington Telephone Company in 1952, Hartington Telecommunications, and now Hartelco) and currently serves residential, business, and agricultural customers across Northeast Nebraska with a 100% Fiber-to-the-Home network spanning 298 route miles. The company provides approximately 1,000 broadband households with fiber internet at three speed tiers (250 Mbps at $65, 500 Mbps at $95, and 1 Gbps at $115 per month, all with unlimited data and no contracts), three cable TV packages ($70-$171/month), residential and business voice services ($20-$50/month), Druva InSync online backup ($9/month), security camera systems with remote monitoring, Dell computer sales and repair, and managed Wi-Fi at four regional RV resorts. Sub-brands include Hartelco Stream, a Roku/Fire Stick-based streaming TV alternative, and CedarVision, a local community advertising channel.

The company generates revenue primarily through subscription recurring monthly fees for internet, TV, voice, and backup services, supplemented by hardware sales (routers, computers), security system installations, and managed services for RV parks. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer: customers sign up via phone (402-254-3901), the hartel.net website, or walk-in visits to the Hartington office, supported by local community presence through CedarVision advertising, the Cedar County Fair, and word-of-mouth referrals. Geographic expansion into Fordyce, Menominee, St. Helena, the Lewis & Clark Lake reservoir, and South Yankton is being underwritten in part by Nebraska Public Service Commission broadband grants, with the most recent buildout running spring 2024 through June 2025. Governance is provided by a locally drawn board of directors, and current executive leadership comprises CEO Tom Noecker, General Manager Lois Lammers, and CFO Alliegh McCoy, supported by a technical staff of approximately 11-50 employees.

Name

Hartelco

Legal name

Hartington Telecommunications, Inc.

Website

https://hartel.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1905

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hartelco is a privately held rural Nebraska telecommunications provider, founded 1905, delivering 100% Fiber-to-the-Home internet, TV, voice, security, and computer services to approximately 1,000 households and businesses across Northeast Nebraska via a 298-route-mile fiber network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Telecommunications

NAICS

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)

SIC

Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Fiber internet services
• Residential broadband
• Cable television
• Voice telephone
• Security camera systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Hartington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Internet Service: Monthly subscription internet service with three tiers: FAST (250/250 Mbps at $65), FASTER (500/500 Mbps at $95), and FASTEST (1 Gig/1 Gig at $115). All plans include unlimited data with no data caps.
2. Voice Service: Residential voice service at $20/month and Business voice service at $27-$50/month, with free long distance within 48 states and free calling features.
3. TV Service: Cable TV subscriptions with Basic ($70), Essential ($153), and Variety ($171) packages. Premium add-ons include Starz/Encore ($15), HBO ($19), Showtime/TMC ($11), and Cinemax ($17.25). Additional revenue from Cloud DVR ($5) and extra STBs ($4.95).
4. Equipment Sales: Router sales at $99.99 one-time purchase. Routers are customer-owned after purchase.
5. Set-Top Box Rental: First Standard STB free; additional STBs at $4.95/month each.
6. Computer Sales and Repair: Sales of Dell computers and related equipment. Repair services including system upgrades, home networking, IT support, malware removal, server networking, and web design/hosting.
7. Professional Services: IT support, computer consulting, web design and hosting, and advanced security services.
8. Security Systems: Security camera systems installation with remote monitoring. Camera options range from 2MP to 4MP with various features including PTZ. 1 Mbps upload speed required for remote monitoring.
9. Online Backup Service: Druva InSync backup service at $9/month for up to 5 devices with 300GB storage. Fully managed and monitored with 24/7 backup management.
10. RV Park Wi-Fi Service: Wi-Fi service for RV resorts including Meridian Bridge, CJ's Campgrounds, Wolf Run, and Cedar Ridge. Monthly payment plans at $60-$65, seasonal 6-month plans at $360, and annual full-timer plans at $600. Includes one-time $100 installation fee.
11. Email Service: Hartel.net email addresses at $2/month including spam filter.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hartelco is a rural telecommunications provider offering fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) internet, cable TV, voice telephone, and security camera services to residential, business, and agricultural customers in Northeast Nebraska. The company also sells Dell computers, provides IT repair and support, and offers managed online backup (Druva InSync) plus Wi-Fi services for RV parks. Operations are anchored by 298 fiber route miles covering approximately 1,000 broadband households, with rural expansion funded through Nebraska Public Service Commission grants.

Product overview

Hartelco is a regional telecommunications cooperative headquartered in Hartington, Nebraska, offering a bundled portfolio of fiber-based internet, TV, voice, and technology services primarily to rural Northeast Nebraska communities. The core product portfolio includes Hartelco FiberFAST Internet (three speed tiers: 250 Mbps, 500 Mbps, and 1 Gbps at $65-$115/month), three TV packages (Basic $70, Essential $153, Variety $171 with premium add-ons), residential voice ($20/month with free long distance), and business voice ($27-$50/month). Supporting offerings include Hartelco Stream (app-based streaming alternative), Cloud DVR, TV Everywhere, four RV park Wi-Fi services, computer repair and sales, Druva InSync online backup ($9/month), and security camera systems with remote monitoring. The company is 100% fiber optic with a 298 fiber route mile network serving approximately 1,000 broadband households, and is actively expanding fiber to underserved rural areas via state grant funding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hartelco Stream: Modern streaming TV service that works with Roku and Amazon Fire Stick devices
• CedarVision

Products and services

• Hartelco FiberFAST Internet Fiber-to-the-home high-speed internet with three monthly subscription tiers: FAST (250/250 Mbps at $65), FASTER (500/500 Mbps at $95), and FASTEST (1 Gig/1 Gig at $115). All plans include unlimited data with no data caps and no contracts.
• Cable TV Packages Cable television subscriptions with three tiers — Basic (80+ channels at $70/month), Essential (160+ channels at $153/month), and Variety (175+ channels at $171/month) — plus premium add-ons including HBO, Starz/Encore, Showtime/TMC, and Cinemax.
• Hartelco Stream App-based streaming TV service that delivers the same channel lineups as traditional cable without a set-top box. Supports 3 to 8 simultaneous streams across 5 to 10 devices depending on tier (Standard $0, Premium $5, Superior $10).
• Residential Voice Service Home telephone service with free long distance within the 48 contiguous states and free unlimited calling features (Call Forwarding, Call Waiting, Caller ID, Voicemail, Call Screening) for $20/month.
• Business Voice Service Business-grade telephone service with free long distance within the 48 contiguous states and free calling features, priced at $27-$50/month depending on configuration.
• Security Camera Systems Security camera installation with remote monitoring accessible via desktop, laptop, smartphone, or tablet with text/email alerts. Camera options include 2MP, 3MP, and 4MP models with PTZ, motorized lens, and facial recognition up to 50 feet.
• Computer Sales and Repair Dell computer sales plus repair and IT services including malware removal, system upgrades, home networking, server networking, IT consulting, and web design/hosting for residential and small business customers.
• Druva InSync Online Backup

Quantifiable outcome

• Speeds up to 1 Gig (1,000 Mbps) with latency under 25ms
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 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

Feature8 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• DruvacoreTechnology or IntegrationDruva provides InSync online backup service that Hartelco resells to customers. The service offers 300GB storage for up to 5 devices with fully managed 24/7 backup monitoring, daily report inspection, and emergency service at no charge. Hartelco provides free technical support during office hours and handles installation for customers.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Viasat: Viasat is a satellite broadband provider serving rural and remote U.S. households where terrestrial broadband is unavailable. It is not a direct ISP peer but is the primary alternative connectivity option for the same rural Nebraska customers that Hartelco targets with fiber.

Broad incumbents

• Sparklight (Cable One): Cable One's Sparklight brand provides broadband, TV, and voice services to smaller communities and rural markets across 24 states. While much larger and publicly traded, Sparklight targets the same underserved rural ISP market that Hartelco serves, and overlaps directly in cable/broadband bundle structure.
• Frontier Communications: Frontier is a major fiber-to-the-home and copper broadband provider across 25 states with significant rural footprint. It competes with Hartelco across multi-state rural geographies and has overlapping fiber buildout ambitions funded by federal broadband programs.
• Consolidated Communications: Consolidated Communications (now privately held under Searchlight Capital and TPG) provides fiber broadband and traditional telecom services to rural and midsize markets across 20+ states. Its FTTH expansion strategy and multi-service bundles closely parallel Hartelco's rural fiber ISP model at much larger scale.
• Windstream (Kinetic): Windstream, operating Kinetic fiber broadband in 18 states, focuses heavily on rural markets with multi-service bundles and ongoing fiber overbuild. Comparable to Hartelco in targeting underserved rural customers with similar product structures but at vastly greater geographic and operational scale.

Emerging players

• Nextlink Internet: Nextlink Internet is a fixed-wireless broadband provider serving rural communities across 11 states including Nebraska, using a combination of fixed-wireless and fiber. It overlaps Hartelco's rural customer base through an alternative last-mile technology.

Direct peers

• Great Plains Communications: Headquartered in Blair, Nebraska, Great Plains Communications is a regional fiber-to-the-home and business telecommunications provider serving rural and midsize communities across Nebraska, Iowa, and Indiana. It directly mirrors Hartelco's rural fiber ISP model with multi-service bundles and grant-funded expansion.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Hartelco_NE

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Hartelco