We’ve been here for 90 years. This is just the next step.
In 1935, rural communities in Northwest Ohio and Northeast Indiana needed electricity — and no one was coming to bring it. So they built their own cooperative. Today, Paulding Putnam is doing it again, this time with fiber internet.
Built By the Community, for the Community
We’re not a national provider that showed up to make a profit. We’re a not-for-profit, member-owned cooperative with nearly 14,000 members across seven local counties. Our members aren’t customers — they’re owners. Every decision we make, we make on their behalf.
That’s what a cooperative is. That’s what we are.
We Saw the Need
Nearly 70% of our members lacked access to reliable, high-speed internet — especially in rural areas. Work, healthcare, education, and everyday life had moved online. The big providers ran their numbers and passed on rural.
We’d heard that before. We didn’t wait then, and we’re not waiting now.
July 18, 2024 – The Board Votes
On July 18, 2024, the Paulding Putnam Board of Trustees unanimously voted to offer fiber internet as a new cooperative service — after months of feasibility studies and community input.
“Our goal will be to build and operate this new business just as we’ve operated the electric side: with our members and community first in mind.” — Randy Price, President & CEO
April 2025 – We Break Ground
Mainline fiber construction began April 15, 2025. By November 2025, the first members had service.
When complete, more than 1,500 miles of fiber will serve electric members and non-members alike across seven counties in NW Ohio and NE Indiana. It makes the whole co-op stronger — connecting substations via fiber means faster outage detection and quicker power restoration for every member. A smarter, more resilient electric grid benefits everyone.
Fast Facts
- 1,500+ Miles of mainline fiber planned
- 7 Counties served — NW Ohio & NE Indiana
- ~14,000 Cooperative members
- 1935 – The year it all began
Why We’re Different
Not a corporation. Your cooperative.
You’ve probably dealt with the other guys. The price that creeps up every year. The “introductory rate” that wasn’t so introductory. The hold music when something goes wrong. The feeling that you’re just an account number.
That’s not how we operate. Here’s what makes Paulding Putnam different:
- We have no shareholders to satisfy. When you pay your bill, that money stays in your community — maintaining infrastructure, improving service, and planning for your future. We’re not extracting value from this region. We’re investing in it.
- We live here, too. Our staff are your neighbors. They coach your kids’ teams, attend your church, shop at your grocery store. When you call with a problem, you’re not routed to a call center halfway across the country. You’re talking to someone who knows what it’s like to live in rural northwest Ohio without reliable internet — because they do.
- No gimmicks. No bait-and-switch. We’re not going to lure you in with a low introductory rate and then quietly raise your bill. Cooperative principles don’t allow for that kind of game. Straightforward is in our DNA.
- Fiber — the real thing. Fiber-to-the-home means your connection isn’t shared with your entire neighborhood during peak hours. It doesn’t slow down in bad weather. It doesn’t degrade over distance. It’s the gold standard for a reason, and it’s what we’re building.
- Your electric service gets better, too. By connecting our substations via fiber, every member benefits — even those who don’t subscribe to internet service. Faster outage detection. Quicker restoration. A smarter, more resilient grid for the whole region.
We have a legacy of power and a future of connection. Your needs have always come first — and that’s not changing.
Questions? Call (800) 686-2357 or contact us.
FAQ
Service is expanding across seven counties in NW Ohio and NE Indiana. Check your address or fill out our interest form to be notified when service reaches your area.
We're a cooperative — not a corporation. We're not in the business of locking you in. Ask us directly about current plan terms at (800) 686-2357.
We're building a fiber-to-the-home network capable of delivering speeds up to 1 Gigabit — symmetrical upload and download. That means no slowdowns during video calls, no buffering during 4K streaming, and no lag during gaming.
No. The electric and internet sides of the business are kept separate. Electric members will not see rate increases because of the fiber build.
Yes. Paulding Putnam's fiber network is being built to serve both electric members and non-member households and businesses in underserved communities across the region.
Paulding Putnam is owned by the members it serves. There are no shareholders, no corporate profit motive, and no headquarters in another state making decisions about your community. Our board is elected by members. Our staff lives locally. And our mission — unlike a national provider's — is to serve you, not to maximize returns for investors.