Member Spotlight - LISMORE Cooperative Telephone COMpany
More than 100 years ago, a group of four farmers east of Lismore decided they needed a better way to communicate. They purchased a telephone and connected their homes with wire so they could stay in touch. A few years later, another group of farmers west of Lismore did the same, and before long, those lines were connected to a home in Lismore that served as the community's first telephone switchboard.
In 1907, those individual farmer lines came together to form Lismore Cooperative Telephone Company, making it one of the nation's first telephone cooperatives. With 107 shareholders investing $50 each, the cooperative was built on the same principles that would later shape rural electric cooperatives—neighbors working together to provide an essential service that larger companies weren't bringing to rural communities.
Over the years, Lismore Cooperative Telephone has continued to embrace new technology while staying true to its cooperative roots. From introducing dial telephones in 1958 and touch-tone service in the late 1970s to replacing its entire copper network with fiber optic lines in 2009, the cooperative has continually invested in the future. Those investments now provide reliable voice, broadband, and fiber services that support homes, farms, businesses, schools, and healthcare providers throughout southwest Minnesota.
Today, Lismore Cooperative Telephone is leading one of the largest broadband expansion projects in our region. Crews are installing approximately 637 miles of fiber optic cable that will bring high-speed internet service to more than 1,550 homes, farms, businesses, and community locations throughout Nobles and Murray counties. This major investment will continue through 2027, expanding reliable fiber broadband to many rural residents for the first time.
What makes this project especially meaningful is the teamwork behind it. Local contractors, engineers, county governments, and community partners have come together to make this expansion possible. Much of the work is being completed by local companies, with nearly 100 people expected to be involved as construction reaches full speed. It's another example of neighbors working together to strengthen rural communities.
Like Nobles Cooperative Electric, Lismore Cooperative Telephone is a member-owned cooperative committed to serving the people who own it. While one cooperative provides reliable electricity and the other provides reliable communications, both share the same mission—investing in infrastructure, supporting local communities, and helping rural southwest Minnesota thrive.
We're proud to recognize Lismore Cooperative Telephone Company as this month's Member Spotlight and thank them for their continued investment in the communities we proudly serve together.
Quick Facts
- Lismore Telephone was established in 1907.
- It is one of the nation’s first telephone cooperatives.
- The company is installing 637 miles of new fiber optic cable.
- Service is being expanded to over 1,550 homes, farms, businesses, and community sites.
- It operates as a member-owned cooperative, similar to Nobles Cooperative Electric.