MAY 2023
CEO’S MESSAGE
CHANGES TO THE DCN BOARD
Seth Arndorfer, CEO
At the risk of repeating myself, great things are happening in North Dakota! I’m pretty sure I could start every column with that statement, but it’s true. In fact, there are so many things happening, sometimes it’s hard to keep up. But let’s just talk about a few. Leadership in the State of North Dakota understands the importance and impact of broadband and continues to make sure all North Dakotans have access to service that is fast and reliable. One way they are doing that is through broadband infrastructure grants. North Dakota Information Technology recently awarded grants to eight service providers – some of which are DCN Owner companies – to build out high speed fiber optic broadband networks in the western most part of the state, providing reliable, symmetrical broadband infrastructure. These grants address 16 critical communities, some of the most rural parts of the state, with over 11,000 miles of fiber install. Our connectedness grows! Another industry that is rapidly evolving (and is close to this farm boy’s heart) is agriculture. North Dakota is a hotbed continued on pg. 2
After serving as general manager/CEO of Dakota Central, based in Carrington, and the DCN Board of Governors for 22 years, Keith Larson has retired. Larson joined Dakota Central in 1979 and joined the DCN Board of Governors in 2000 when he assumed leadership of the company.
Above: Arndorfer with outgoing board member Keith Larson. Below: New board member Holly Utke, new GM/CEO of Dakota Central.
Holly Utke took the reins at Dakota Central on Jan. 1, 2023, and simultaneously joined the DCN board. Prior to her GM/CEO appointment, Utke served in many roles at Dakota Central including eight years as chief financial officer and positions in marketing, sales, and customer care. She has been with the company for more than 20 years. “Keith has been an outstanding board member and we’re grateful for his service,” says DCN CEO Seth Arndorfer. “I’m also glad to have Holly join our Board of Governors and am confident she will be a valuable addition.”
DCN'S DDoS GETS A REFRESH Every year, small and large businesses alike experience distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks that not only cost money, but their reputation can suffer as well. In fact, according to Corero, the average cost of a DDoS attack in the U.S. is around $218,000 – and doesn’t factor in ransomware costs or reputational damage. If you’re not familiar with DDoS attacks, there are three main types: Volume-based: these attacks send information packets that are continuously downloaded and weigh down a server’s bandwidth. It’s similar to how your home Wi-Fi slows down during a family gathering. There are too many devices in the house downloading information at the same time, so your continued on pg. 2