FALL 2018

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Brought to you by

eBill and Online Bill Pay are Here!You can now:

• View current or past bills online

anytime you want.

• Pay online in seconds with your

credit/debit card or bank account.

• Use Automatic Payment to have your

monthly bill automatically paid by your

credit/debit card or bank account.

• Enjoy security protections via your

account number and password.

Register at www.emily.net today! Go to

Information, Online Bill Pay, then click on

Continue. Call us at 218-763-3000 for your

secret code and get started.

Emily Cooperative Telephone Company40040 State Highway 6 / PO Box 100

Emily, MN 56447

Phone: 218-763-3000 / 1-800-450-1036

Email: emilytel@emily.net

Website: www.emily.net

Office Hours:Monday – Friday 8 am – 4:30 pm

After Hours:We have 24-hour coverage for

telephone, internet and cable outages.

Call 218-763-3000 and follow the prompts.

Any other concerns, please call our office

and leave a message.

Office ClosuresNovember 22 for Thanksgiving

December 24-25 for Christmas

December 31 and January 1 for New Year

CONNECTING WITH OUR MEMBERS

CRAWLINGCRAWLINGFEEL LIKE YOU’RE

ON THE WEB?GET A SCARY GOOD DEAL ON FASTER INTERNETWhy crawl like a spider when you can fly like a bat? After all, it’s

frightening when you realize how much time you’re wasting

with slow internet. Take advantage of the savings with this eerily

perfect Halloween deal on ECTC’s internet plans with download

speeds up to 1 GIG.

FREE FIRST MONTH when you sign up for a new or upgraded internet plan.*

CALL NOW218-763-3000Mention Promo Code SCARY DEAL

*Service availability and internet speed will depend on location. Price subject to change. Contact us for complete details. Existing customers will be billed their current rate but receive higher speed.

It’s frustrating when a webpage takes forever to load or a video stops to buffer, displaying the famed “spinning wheel of death.” Here are some common reasons why an internet connection may be moving at slower-than-expected speeds, along with actions you can take to help rectify the issues.

An Increase in Users and DevicesThe more people online at once, the slower the connection gets. For example, if you have several houseguests on your home’s Wi-Fi network, you may notice a tempo-rary decrease in internet speeds during their visit. This can also be an ongoing issue if your family size has increased or the number of internet-connected devices and bandwidth-heavy applications have risen significantly. In the case of the latter, it may be time for an upgrade of your internet plan.

Spyware and VirusesSpyware and viruses could be the culprits causing your internet connection to slow down on your computer. Consider running a full system scan with your antivirus pro-gram to see if there are any suspicious programs that need to be removed.

Walls and Floors Blocking Wi-Fi SignalsThe construction materials in your home can greatly affect wireless communication speed and range. Materials such as concrete, brick, and metal can make it difficult to connect and can slow your network speed or even completely block wireless signals from reaching certain parts of your home. Large furniture items such as filling cabi-nets or bookshelves, as well as ap-pliances like stoves or refrigerators, can also interfere with Wi-Fi. You may be able to solve the problem simply by moving your router to a different location.

An Old RouterSome older routers have a speed cap limiting the maximum internet speed possible, which means your outdated router may be preventing you from receiving the full speed of your internet plan. One of the best ways to make sure your home’s Wi-Fi network is as fast and reliable as possible is to buy a new router that supports the current standard, which can effectively handle 20 or more devices.

For help solving internet speed issues at your home, call ECTC at 218-763-3000.

WatchTVEverywhere Expands Your Fun Pick your device. Pick your location. Pick your

program. WatchTVEverywhere lets you pick

the how, where, and what you watch. And it’s

FREE with your qualifying ECTC TV package.

WatchTVEverywhere streams some of your

favorite channels and programming to your

smartphone, tablet, laptop and other devices

from anywhere you can receive an internet signal.

Watch your favorite drama show on your

smartphone while sipping a latté at the cor-

ner café. Watch a comedy special on your

laptop during your lunch hour. Or watch a

movie on your tablet while lounging on your

front porch or patio.

To access content through WatchTV-

Everywhere, you’ll first need to register at

www.emily.net. It’s quick and easy; just have

your ECTC TV account number handy (last 4

digits). Not yet one of our TV customers? Call

us today at 218-763-3000 to sign up.

*The specific networks available on your

mobile devices will be based on your TV

package subscription.

Common Culprits for Slow Internet and What to Do About Them

Hallmark Channels Added to Advantage PackageWe are excited to announce that both the

Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies and

Mysteries have been moved to the ECTC

Advantage Package. Hallmark Channel can be

found on Channel 209 and Hallmark Movies

and Mysteries is located on Channel 210.

Board of Directors

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Randy Moritz Emily, 218-763-3097

Norman HawleyLittle Pine, 218-763-3026

Kathy HacheyAt Large, 218-763-3333

Ken HerseyFifty Lakes, 218-763-3802

Phil YetzerFairfield, 218-763-4150

Josh NetlandGeneral Manager, 218-763-3000

44th Annual Meeting RecapEven with the roads being under construction, the 44th Annual Meeting held on June 18 had another great turnout! Randy Moritz was elected for the Emily District to replace retiring Lovell Baker, and Kathy Hachey was re-elected to serve as the At Large Director.

During the meeting, year-in-review business updates were shared with the members. General Manager Josh Netland reviewed the challenges the coop faces including upgrading fiber electronic equipment and increases in video programming costs. Part-nerships in Tri-Co Technologies and Zenergy have been very important to ECTC for additional revenue streams, which help us remain viable in our community.

Guest Brent Christensen, president of the MTA (Minnesota Telecom Alliance), shared the importance of each rural coops participation at the legislative level. He also stated that the Rural Call Completion issues have been fixed because of the efforts made with legislators.

President Hawley thanked Lovell Baker for his 18 years of service and his significant contributions to the growth and sustainability of ECTC through the fiber to every home deployment, his executive business experience, and his encouragement of fel-low Board members, Management and Staff. He will truly be missed.

Grand Prize winners were:

• Julie Frank, who won the 43” TV

• Robin Benzer, who won the iPad

• Gregory Petersen and Edie Brekken, who each won an Amazon Fire Tablet

Thanks to all who voted in the Board of Directors election and attended the meeting. We appreciate your commitment to the cooperative!

Lovell Baker Julie Frank

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According to U.S. Dept of Energy reports, 87 percent of power outages are caused by severe weather. Power outages cost American households $150 billion annually, with weather-related outages accounting for roughly $70 billion per year.

Minnesota’s fall and winter weather is unpredictable and weather-related power out-ages aren’t the only challenge. There can also be blackouts, power shortages and power surges that wreak havoc on your home.

The folks at Zenergy recommend the following steps to protect your investment — your home — while keeping the power on:

• Invest in a whole home surge protector. A small piece of equipment that’s installed directly into your electrical panel, it “catches” any extra burst of electricity and diverts it to your home’s grounding system. This protects small appliances and electronics as well as big-ticket items like your furnace, water heater and well pump.

• Invest in a Kohler Standby Generator. It’s inevitable. You are going to lose power at some point. Emergency back-up power is a must-have for homeowners. A standby generator will turn on automatically when power is lost, whether you’re home or away, and the right-size generator powers everything in your home includ-ing HVAC, lights, appliances and electronics.

To learn more, visit Zenergy online at www.zenergyguide.com or call 888-ZEN-RG4U.

Free Technology SeminarsOffice Modules – Word/Excel/Mail Merge

October 9, 2018

We receive lots of requests for information on

the Office Modules. Join us for an overview of

these important tools.

Techie Holiday Gift Ideas

November 13, 2018

This seminar was so popular last year we are

bringing it back! It’s a great introduction to

some of the newest electronic gadgets and

gizmos on the market. There is something for

everyone in this seminar.

Join us for these free technology seminars,

held monthly at 10:00 am at the Crosslake

Community Center, 14126 Daggett Pine

Road in Crosslake.

ECTC Annual Directory Photo ContestYou could have your

photo featured on

our 2019 Telephone

Directory! ECTC is

excited to announce

its annual Telephone

Directory Photo

Contest.

HOW TO ENTER:

Send your best photos to photo@emily.net.

Please include your name, address, phone

number, ECTC account number, and a

brief description of the photo(s) you are

submitting.

WHEN:

All photos must be submitted by January

21, 2019 to be eligible for the Telephone

Directory Photo Contest.

WHY:

Not only do you score fame and glory, your

winning photo also earns you a one-time

$20 credit on your ECTC bill!

QUESTIONS?

For more information, visit our website at

www.emily.net.

Protect Your Home from Damage Due to Power Outages

You Have New Billing and Payment Options: eBill and Online Bill PayThe first phase of Web Self Care is up and running with eBill and Online Bill Pay!

With eBill, you get your bill emailed to you:

• Less paper is good for the environment. • Never lose a bill again. • Best of all, it’s FREE!

With Online Bill Pay, you can pay your ECTC bill online, anytime:

• Save money on postage. • No need to write checks. • Your information is safe and secure.

This is just the beginning of Web Self Care. Soon you’ll also be able to request changes to

your account and report service troubles online. We’ll continue to share information on these

benefits as they become available.

Register at www.emily.net today! Go to Information, Online Bill Pay, then click on

Continue. Call us at 218-763-3000 for your secret code and get started.