Overview
Executive Overview
Founded in 1950 and headquartered in Perham, Minnesota, Arvig has evolved from a small local telephone company into one of the largest independent telecommunications and technology providers in the United States. Today, the company serves a diverse clientele ranging from residential consumers to large-scale enterprises, healthcare institutions, and government agencies.
Arvig’s core business revolves around its robust fiber-optic network, which spans over 15,000 route miles across Minnesota and into neighboring states. Their service portfolio is comprehensive, encompassing high-speed internet, managed IT services, wholesale fiber transport, hosted PBX systems, and television/phone services.
As a major player in the Midwest market, Arvig has positioned itself as a critical infrastructure partner. They have a significant presence in the wholesale market, providing backhaul and "last mile" connectivity for other carriers. Over the last decade, Arvig has aggressively expanded through both organic network builds and strategic acquisitions, allowing them to compete directly with national incumbents. Their focus remains on delivering reliable, scalable bandwidth and sophisticated technology solutions to communities that are often overlooked by larger Tier 1 providers, while maintaining a sophisticated operations center that supports complex enterprise requirements.
Company Differentiation
Arvig is distinguished by its identity as an employee-owned company (ESOP), which fundamentally shapes its approach to customer service and long-term business stability. Unlike publicly traded telecommunications giants driven by quarterly earnings, Arvig’s employee-owners have a direct stake in the company’s reputation and regional success. This ownership structure fosters a culture of accountability and deep community investment, particularly in the Upper Midwest.
The company’s philosophy centers on bridging the "digital divide" by bringing enterprise-grade technology to underserved rural areas as well as urban centers. Their business model is built on vertical integration; Arvig manages its own construction, fiber splicing, and technical support teams, allowing for greater control over the quality and speed of deployment. This "boots on the ground" approach, combined with a commitment to local expertise, allows Arvig to offer a level of personalized customer success and technical partnership that larger national carriers struggle to replicate. Their values emphasize integrity and innovation, ensuring that as technology evolves, their infrastructure is built to scale alongside their clients' needs.
Company Demographics
Product Offerings
Arvig categorizes its business offerings into three distinct tiers:
- Connectivity Solutions:
Fiber Internet:* Scalable DIA with symmetrical speeds.
Business Wifi:* Managed indoor/outdoor wireless mesh networks.
Dark Fiber:* Lease of unlit fiber strands for maximum privacy and bandwidth.
- Managed IT & Security:
Managed Firewall:* Perimeter defense with regular patching and monitoring.
Desktop Support:* Helpdesk services for end-user troubleshooting.
Backup & Disaster Recovery:* Cloud-based data protection and recovery testing.
- Voice & Collaboration:
Managed Hosted IP:* Full-featured cloud PBX.
Microsoft Teams Integration:* Connecting Arvig voice circuits directly to the Teams environment.
Mass Notification Systems:* For schools and large campuses to broadcast emergency alerts.
Product Differentiation
Arvig’s product suite is anchored by its expansive 15,500-mile fiber-optic network, which provides the backbone for high-capacity, low-latency connectivity. A key differentiator is the breadth of their "under one roof" service model. While many providers offer only connectivity, Arvig integrates a full stack of managed services, including:
* **Managed IT & Security:** They provide comprehensive outsourced IT, including firewall management, endpoint protection, and 24/7 monitoring, which is rare for a regional ISP to execute at this scale.
* **Custom Fiber Construction:** Arvig possesses in-house construction capabilities, allowing them to build custom fiber routes and diverse paths for enterprises that require specific redundancy configurations.
* **Hosted PBX & Unified Communications:** Their voice solutions are highly scalable, transitioning businesses from legacy systems to cloud-based communication platforms with local installation support.
* **DDoS Mitigation & Network Redundancy:** By utilizing multiple Tier 1 upstream providers and a ring-topology network design, Arvig ensures enterprise-level uptime and protection against sophisticated cyber threats.
The technical advantage lies in their ability to deliver a "big city" infrastructure with a "small town" service agility, offering bespoke configurations that national carriers typically automate or decline.
