History
Rainbow Telecommunications Association, Inc.: A History
During the 50's, change was sweeping the across America. With the Great Depression and the Second World War behind them, people were ready to get on with the building up of their community. One of the first things needed was a better system of communications. With this idea in mind, the formation of Rainbow Telephone Co-op was to happen.
On November 6, 1951, a representative of the RTA from Washington D.C. named R. L. Thomas, met with area people interested in upgrading their telephone system. It was decided to elect a temporary board to explore the possibility of forming a co-op to take advantage of low interest government loans. Mr. Emmentt Oltjen of Robinson, Kansas was elected president of the temporary board, with F.P. Korthanke, James Swartz, Clarenece Buttron, R.M. Childs, Joe Nelson, J.A. White, Thomas Tollefson, Gerald Rawles, and Melvin Kleppe also serving on the board.
The next meeting took place in March of 1952, when William Drumm was hired as attorney, to file an application of charter and articles of incorporation with the Kansas State Corporation Commission. There were only two problems; first, the board didn't have any money and the proposed co-op didn't have a name. So, the board voted to each advance the co-op $15 each, and also agreed on the name RAINBOW TELEPHONE, to be placed on the application.
In July 1952, the State Charter Board approved the by-laws of Rainbow Telephone Co-op; and so started the next phase, the raising of funds to meet equity requirements to receive a REA loan. This was accomplished by selling capital stock. In 1953, the engineering firm of A.B. Richardson was hired to design the layout and specifications of four exchanges to serve the communities of Robinson, Everest, Huron, Denton, Severance, and Leona.
In 1954, the board received a telegraph from Washington D.C. It was the worked they had been waiting for. The REA approved a loan. The following year, in 1955, Rainbow Telephone Co-op was granted the authority to transact business as a telephone public utility. After four years of hard work, Rainbow telephone Co-op was ready to go into business. In June 1956, a contract was entered into the Alpha Construction Co. to build the Everest, Robinson, Huron, and Denton exchanges, which were completed and cut to dial service in 1957.
The Bendena, Whiting, and Muscotah exchanges were purchased in 1961 and cut to dial service in 1963. In 1967, Rainbow acquired the Willis exchange and converted it to dial service in 1968. With the addition of Larkinburg and Arrington in 1971, the territory of the co-op stands today.
Many changes took place in the way people lived between 1951 and 1974. To keep pace and give the service its customers deserved, Rainbow made the decision to upgrade all private lines and bury a storm proof plant. Rainbow was the first company in Kansas to be 100% buried. Excerpts from "A History of Independent Telephony in Kansas", 1990.
As technology advanced, so did the co-op's desire to advance its service. In 1986, installed digital switches linked with fiber optic cable in all exchanges. In the 90's, the company added dial-up Internet access, installed a fiber optic ring that tied all Rainbow exchanges together, and then became a shareholder in the cable company CLR, Inc.. The year 2000 began by Rainbow offering its customers their own long distance plans for the first time ever. Rainbow also petitioned the KCC to allow free local calling between all Rainbow exchanges, and later installed fiber optic cable to within 3 miles radius of all subscribers so that High Speed Internet would be available to all exchange subscribers.
Today, with a familiar name and a new look, Rainbow Telecommunications begins the steps to expand its services. With the threat of losing Universal Service Funding (USF) and increasingly aggressive satellite and cellular competitors, rural independent telephone companies across the nation are scrambling to find a way to prepare for the future. The telecommunications industry is changing and Rainbow Telecommunications has made strategic plans to become a leader in the changing times rather than sit idly while the world of communications passes. Rainbow saw it as an opportunity rather than an obstacle and began to implement their new vision by purchasing Carson Communications, the leading cable provider in northeast Kansas. Rainbow looks forward to offering local phone along with cable television and Internet services in an affordable package. Now known as Rainbow Communications, the company serves thirty-three different communities with either or all of the following services: phone, long distance, cable television, digital cable programming, movie premium channels, pay per view, and high speed Internet.
Rainbow Telecommunications Association, the cooperative of the communities of Bendena, Denton, Everest, Huron, Muscotah, Robinson, Whiting, and Willis, will remain the parent company. Within the next five years Rainbow Communications, the cable subsidiary, will branch out in eight of its thirty-three communities to offer bundle packages of local phone, internet, and cable television. The first steps have already been taken to accomplish this goal. Construction to the cable systems in Horton and Hiawatha have already begun. This will allow the residents of Horton and Hiawatha a choice in their local phone provider, a bundled package of services, and local customer service by a company that has been a part of the community for over fifty years.
Rainbow Communications is also committed to becoming a local presence by opening local offices in both Horton and Hiawatha, while still maintaining the headquarters in Everest. The local offices will provide additional customer service locations where customers can learn about products, sign up for services, and make payments.
Rainbow Communications is also delighted with the addition of Jack McKee of McKee Communication Services, a trusted local business and residential phone system dealer. With this addition, Rainbow Communications now has the opportunity to accommodate businesses with more specialized needs in communications.
Rainbow Communications is excited about the future in communications. Technology is developing quickly, and Rainbow Communications strives to stay ahead of the curve so that their customers will be able to receive the very best in communication and entertainment services. Their new motto is: Big Enough to Deliver. Small Enough to Care. Rainbow Communications looks forward to providing leading edge services with local customer service.