North Dakota Long Distance

OUR HISTORY | ADDITIONAL FACTS & BENEFITS

Our History

North Dakota Long Distance (NDLD) was formed in 1996 when several rural telephone companies pooled their resources to offer customers a new choice for long distance services. The big companies like AT&T and MCI had dominated the market long enough. Rural customers needed a choice that would provide them with a combination of competitive rates and hometown service.

The original founders of NDLD were:

North Dakota Telephone Company (Devils Lake)
Polar Communications (Park River)
United Telephone (Langdon)
Dakota Central (Carrington)

During 1998 and 1999, six additional companies and cooperatives came aboard:

Dickey Rural Networks (Ellendale)
Midstate Telephone/Communications (Stanley)
BEK Communications (Steele)
RTC (Parshall)
Northwest Communications Cooperative (Ray)
MLGC - Moore & Liberty Telephone Company (Enderlin) / Griggs County Telephone Company (Cooperstown)

August 23, 1999 was a crucial date in long distance history, but thanks to NDLD, most North Dakota customers didn’t even notice it. USWEST, which is now Qwest, pulled out as the intraLATA (local toll) default long distance carrier in all areas where they were not the local telephone company. As a result, thousands of rural customers wouldn’t have been able to make local long distance calls from their home or business phone if not for NDLD.

Since NDLD was already providing service to many of the customers in the areas abandoned by USWEST, all ten owners naturally designated NDLD as their default intraLATA long distance carrier. This sizeable conversion was implemented without a hitch and customers continued to receive intraLATA long distance service from NDLD without any interruption.

Expansion continued into the new millennium when IdeaOne Telecom Group (Fargo) and Inter-Community Telephone Company (Nome) became agents for NDLD; giving them the ability to provide their customers long distance services with the convenience of just one bill.

Ultimately, our owners and agents have formed a solid company, which has provided competitive long distance rates and service to the majority of their members and customers for well over a decade.

Additional Facts About NDLD and Benefits of Joining Us

Our solid foundation, global reach, and business philosophy leads many to choose NDLD for all their long distance needs. These are just a few of the distinctive facts and benefits of our service:

Our philosophy for long distance service is simple; make your calls when it is convenient for you. You’ll never have to wait until late at night or the weekends to make your calls. Our rates are the same anytime - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and are free of any hidden charges, term commitments, or gimmicks.
North Dakota Long Distance is a locally owned and operated company providing services to customers in the state of North Dakota.
NDLD customers can call long distance to anywhere in the world.
Our owners and agents provide telecommunication services to over 200 communities across the state of North Dakota.
Over 80% of the customers in these communities have made NDLD their long distance carrier of choice.
When you call us, you will talk to a live local person who can help you right away.
Over 500 dedicated local professionals work hard every day to provide you reliable service every time you pick up your phone to make a local or long distance call.
Customers and members of our owners and agents receive just one bill for all their telecommunication services.
Members of our owner cooperatives receive capital credits for every long distance call they make.
Your local telephone company and NDLD can provide you reliable, clear, and secure conversations at home and at work.
You are eligible to join NDLD if you are served by one of our owner/agent telecommunications companies or cooperatives [one of our owners or agents – click on this link to find out if we can serve you] in North Dakota for your local telephone service and your account is in good standing.

Please contact us to discuss available call plan options and services. We offer complimentary bill comparisons to show you how our rates and services compare to your current carrier’s. We’ll provide honest advice so you can find the best solutions to help you or your business save the most money, communicate effectively, and succeed.

We’d like to be your long distance provider of choice. Join NDLD online today and start receiving great long distance rates in your own backyard ANYTIME. Your switch to NDLD is free! Just click on the JOIN TODAY tab, complete the form, and submit it. It’s easy!