Lavalle Telephone Co-Op Inc — Local services in Town of La Valle

A Predatory Monopoly, Preying on Elderly in the Digital Age

La Valle Telephone Co-Op is effectively a self-described monopoly, and its primary victims are those who happen to live in the small corners of the La Valle area and the precious moments of communication and conversations with loved ones that they lose out on. This disproportionately affects the elderly who inhabit the region who are trying to stay connected with their children and grandchildren in the digital age.

Those of us who have had to make-do with unreliable and unfeasible satellite or "barn-to-barn" wireless internet know how truly isolating it can feel to not have access to functional, cable-based internet. The empathetic team at La Valle Telephone Company will revel in telling you that you will just have to get used to it and that there is no hope of your area ever getting fiber laid (despite being on major roads with several family homes and businesses).

I called their enthusiastic Customer Service team to get information on if they could provide internet to my parents who live in a relatively secluded area outside of town. As I was explaining how difficult it has been to stay in contact with them given their current internet connection, particularly during to the COVID-19 pandemic, they abruptly cut me off, said no internet was available, that there were no plans of there being internet at my parents' house, that there are no other options for them. Effectively, if you do not live in an area blessed by La Valle Telephone Company, you are just out of luck; even if they are the only cable internet provider in your area.

This is completely unacceptable and not feasible in the modern era of technology. Anyone who has lived in a rural area knows that satellite-based internet is ineffective, unreliable, and not adequate given bandwidth demands of modern devices and online applications. Further, cell phone service is beyond sparse in the La Valle area, so many residents rely on hard lines to have telephone access.

For those in the area who are lucky enough to have access to internet through La Valle Telephone Company, I'm sure they provide an excellent and reliable connection. To those who don't, I guess you should just have to uproot your lives and leave your hometowns if you want to stay in touch with your family.

I would encourage everyone who is negatively impacted by this monopoly to contact your local representatives. We should not have to live disconnected from our friends and family.

An excerpt from their mission statement reads as, "At LaValle Telephone Cooperative, our mission is to deliver cutting-edge technology to our customers and communities, providing exceptional customer care while connecting people and providing solutions." - Their ACTIONS suggest that nothing could be further from the truth.

La Valle Telephone Co-op should either adjust their strategic business charter to reflect their uncaring & monopolistic goals, or conduct a top-down diagnostic to determine how they have strayed from their mission so...

Hiw they can't install phone and Internet to a friend who has land and a home. But because it's a camper that is Instalated and even has a wood shed next to it she can't have it because it will cost the company too much money and say they will call in a week I called one time and never...

Scam service that wants to charge you $60 just to use the extra ethernet ports on YOUR OWN ROUTER! Then they lie completely to try to defend it. Do no not do business with this company they are LIARS. An FCC and FTC complaints have been filed...