As seasons change from summer to fall, we were fortunate to avoid the record-breaking heat wave hitting the Western US. Although, with the upcoming election our political climate is heating up once again. With political ads starting to circulate, it’s easy to tell fall is just around the corner. At least we know that when the snow flies, the election and ads should be about over!
A letter from our
We are in the final stages of wrapping up the installation of the electronic equipment that was purchased to upgrade our transport network. It is the culmination of a project that we started better than two years ago when we issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to vendors. Twelve of the smaller exchanges have been cutover to the network and only Carrington and three node sites in Jamestown remain. Our network department will be very glad to have this project behind them.
There is a huge amount of broadband funding being released by the federal government, with government and private funding estimated to exceed $125 billion in the next five years. We are fortunate that Dakota Central completed its fiber-to-thehome projects back in 2012 for its original service area and finished rural Stutsman County in 2019. As I mentioned, we are finalizing the installation of our transport electronics, however some of the transport fiber we are still using dates back to 1988. We will be seeking an approximate 50/50 grant through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), to upgrade about 230 miles of transport fiber. The NTIA is seeking applications by September 30 for approximately $100 million that is available throughout the United States. Although the NTIA grant program is one of the smaller programs, it is the only one currently
available that supports middle-mile rather than last-mile projects.
Recently our switching translations were updated to include permissive 7-digit and 10-digit dialing, which provides the ability to connect calls via 7-digit dialing while also making 10-digit dialing valid. There is a nationwide effort by the FCC to implement mandatory 10-digit dialing in every state. Currently, largely populated states and a number of cellular carriers have implemented mandatory 10-digit dialing. If the FCC continues its plan to mandate it nationwide, you will be required to use 10 digits to make a local call.
We buried fiber to approximately 120 new locations this summer and have quite a number scheduled for this fall. Please don’t wait until the last minute to get your project in the queue, as construction season comes to a halt once the ground starts to freeze. And as always, don’t forget to call 8-1-1 before you dig!
I wish you all a great fall and an abundant harvest!
Keith Larson CEO/GM
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The Jamestown Parks and Recreation District (JPRD) is an integral part of the community, offering many activities, programs, and facilities. If you’re not familiar with what all falls under the JPRD “umbrella,” it includes, Hillcrest Golf Course, Two
Rivers Activity Center, Eagles and Wilson Arenas, city parks, biking and walking trails, baseball, softball, and soccer complexes, and youth and adult programs.
While JPRD has been part of the community for many years, the department has organically transitioned into a different role throughout Jamestown. JPRD has gone from being ‘present’ to acting as a provider in the community,” current executive director Amy Walters explained. While Jamestown Parks and Rec do a great job in serving the community, it also comes with challenges. Along with the ongoing need to evolve and improve as the demographic
and needs change, there is also a challenge with the operation of aging facilities.
As the Parks and Rec department grows, Amy and the team have been working to improve efficiencies by integrating advanced technology throughout the Parks and Rec facilities. For example, JPRD utilizes a Dakota Central Cloud Voice system in the administrative office and the Two Rivers Activity Center. This allows them to conveniently transfer calls between facilities as if they were in the same building, eliminating the need for the caller to hang up and call a different number. JPRD also uses the same program for sign-ups and scheduling across all programs and facilities. “Integration of the same technology makes for a seamless experience across accounts for community members, whether they are making a teetime at Hillcrest or signing up as a member at TRAC” Amy said. Along with the cloud voice system and broadband connection
throughout the department, JPRD’s suite of Dakota Central services also includes business class Managed Wi-Fi and security camera systems throughout their facilities. BusinessClass Managed Wi-Fi has given them the ability to easily create guest networks in their facilities and either keep the network password protected or allow guests to use without a password, like at TRAC. Although it may feel vulnerable for a business to have a guest wi-fi network open to the world, Dakota Central’s Managed Wi-Fi service includes threat protection, which means any threats to the system are flagged and taken care of on the back end, before any damage is done. “We don’t have internal capacity to do IT ourselves, so we appreciate our relationship with Dakota Central and their ability to provide the technology we need,” Amy explained.
Recently, JPRD went through the process of defining their mission and values. The core values of JPRD include Community, Excellence, Integrity, Accessible for All, Ongoing Improvement and Fun! The team at JPRD is focused on those values and continues to use them as a guide when navigating challenges. “It really helps having Dakota Central with us along the way throughout changes,” Amy expressed. That’s exactly what Dakota Central is here for- to support our customers however they need us, while providing the tools and technology needed to stay connected.
And since we live here too and utilize JPRD programs and facilities as community members, the Dakota Central team is grateful for the topnotch services offered right here in Jamestown!
Jeremy
We have had a busy summer of events!
We love getting out into our communities and connecting with you, our customers! We kicked off the summer with our annual membership meeting in June, and held our Customer Appreciation picnic in July in Jamestown. We had the opportunity to sponsor the Pinochle Tournament at the Foster County Fair this year in June, which was a great time! We also participated in the Carrington 4th of July parade and the Buffalo Days parade, with only one candy casualty. Also in July was one of our favorite events to be a part of each year –Kid’s Night at the Jamestown Speedway. Kudos to the Speedway for making it such a fun night for everyone! The fun
continued in August, with our sponsor night at the Downtown Art Market, put on by the Jamestown Arts Center featuring local musicians. Finally, we participated in the University of Jamestown’s Block Party, which is such a fun way to welcome new college students to the community! We love being a part of these community events in the summer!
Summer is also a busy time for our plant department, with construction projects, locates, and a crunch to get as many outdoor installations done as possible before winter hits. Our fingers are crossed for a late fall!
October
Dickinson
Doane vs. University of Jamestown
Bismarck Legacy vs. Jamestown High
Carrington vs. Oakes
Valley City State University vs. University of Jamestown
Carrington vs. Langdon Area-Edmore-Munich
Carrington vs. Napoleon-GS
Jamestown High vs. Bismarck Century
Jamestown Oakes Jamestown Langdon Napoleon Bismarck
Scam artists are always coming up with new ways to take advantage of unsuspecting victims, and this time they are using the phone. In some scams, they might act nice and friendly to lure you in, while in others they may try to scare or threaten you. A recent tactic is to call claiming to be a representative associated with a well-known company, such as Amazon. They will try to convince you that you have an unverified purchase in a large amount and that to clear it up you need to download a screen-sharing app for them to gain access to your cell phone to get it fixed. They may call multiple times a day and instruct you to “press 1” if you think it’s a mistake, which will then transfer you to another “representative” who will try to obtain your information.
If you receive one of these calls from someone claiming to be a representative, hang up and call the company on a phone number you know is legitimate. If the caller is pressuring you or creating a sense of urgency, they are probably a scam artist.
Other tips to keep in mind:
• Never give anyone remote access to your devices unless you contacted the company first (using its real number). If someone tells you to give remote access to get a refund, it’s a scam.
• Don’t always believe caller ID in these situations. Scam artists can spoof caller ID numbers and may appear to be calling from a legitimate company, when they are not.
• Never give your credit card information to someone who has called you claiming to be a representative. If you are being pressured into downloading an app or service, hang up.
• Never pay by gift card. Nobody legitimate will ever require you to. If someone tells you they need the numbers on the back of a gift card, it’s a scam.
• Talk about it. If you’re getting these messages, so are people you know. Help them avoid the scam by sharing what you know.
Another thing you can do is make sure your phone number is on the National Do Not Call Registry (call 1-888-382-1222 or visit donotcall.gov) and report any illegal sales calls that you receive. To file a complaint with the FTC, go to ftc.gov/complaint. For more information on this type of scam and others, visit consumer.ftc.gov/ articles/phone-scams
If you’re using an Amazon Fire TV stick and missed the remote set up prompt or moved your firestick to a different TV, don’t worry! You can program your Amazon remote to any compatible TV which allows you to control the TV volume and turn the power on/off.
*You must have an Amazon Fire TV generation 3 or higher to control power and volume. Older TVs may not be compatible with the Amazon remote
1. Press the Home button to go to the Amazon Home screen
2. Press up to highlight the top Menu items, and scroll all the way to the right and select Settings
3. Scroll to the right and select Equipment Control
4. Select Manage Equipment
5. Select TV
6. Scroll down and select Change TV
7. Message will say “Change TV?” Select Change TV to confirm and start setup. You’ll get the message “Please wait while we prepare your remote for setup”
8. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete remote setup.
You’re ready to go!
Every subscriber that the National Verifier determines is eligible will need to complete USAC’s ACP recertification process. These subscribers will first go through an initial automated database check that will check the subscriber’s eligibility. ACP subscribers who participate in the Lifeline Program and have passed Lifeline recertification can rely on their Lifeline recertification.
Starting in August, USAC will conduct outreach to subscribers who fail the automated eligibility checks. Subscribers will have a 60-day window to recertify. If a subscriber receives a letter in the mail from USAC, they will need to take action to recertify their benefit. Subscribers will need to complete the ACP Recertification Form (English and Spanish). Some subscribers will need to provide income or eligibility documentation to prove their continued eligibility for the program. Subscribers will be notified in the outreach from USAC if they need to provide documentation
Need Help? For information about the Affordable Connectivity Program, consumers should visit AffordableConnectivity.gov, or email ACPsupport@usac.org for support.
Recertification is an annual requirement for Lifeline subscribers. USAC conducts recertification to ensure that active Lifeline subscribers, including those who also participate in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), are still eligible for the Lifeline benefit.
Beginning the week of July 11, USAC will conduct outreach to subscribers that fail the automated eligibility checks to open the subscriber’s 60-day recertification window. Subscribers who do not recertify within their 60-day window will be automatically deenrolled from NLAD by USAC.
Consumers who participate in Lifeline and ACP that pass the Lifeline recertification process will not need to undergo a separate recertification process for ACP. Consumers who participate in Lifeline and ACP that fail the Lifeline recertification process will be de-enrolled from Lifeline in NLAD and will be subject to the ACP recertification process. For more information or assistance, email LifelineProgram@usac.org
