About Us
MTC is a 100% Fiber to the Premise Cooperative in the McDonough, Hancock, Fulton, and Schuyler County areas.
Co.op.er.a.tive
Working or acting together willingly for a common purpose or benefit.
Incorporated on May 3, 1951, McDonough Telephone Cooperative was formed to bring telephone service to rural west central Illinois. The initial goal was to acquire 500 members interested in receiving reliable telephone service. Today, McDonough Telephone has over 3,700 members who subscribe to a broad range of telecommunication services through the co-op.
McDonough Telephone Cooperative is made up of 12 exchanges which cover 20 communities: Adair, Bardolph, Blandinsville, Brooklyn, Colchester, Colusa, Doddsville, Fandon, Good Hope, Industry, Littleton, Lomax, New Philadelphia, Raritan, Sciota, Smithshire, Swan Creek, Tennessee, Walnut Grove and Youngstown.
The cooperative is governed by a board of directors representing the different exchanges and elected to three-year terms. Each year at the cooperative’s annual meeting, the membership has the opportunity to vote on who should sit on the board, learn about the progress and growth of their cooperative, and see the impact that their membership and cooperative have on their local communities.
A cooperative-wide upgrade project was completed in August 2003. As a result of this work, every McDonough Telephone member is able to receive high-speed DSL Internet. In 2005, the cooperative expanded its capabilities again and added digital video to its menu of more traditional services.
MTC strives to provide its membership with state-of-the-art technology coupled with exceptional customer service. In March of 2019, MTC finished converting its first fully-fiber exchange, Colusa, Blandinsville, and Good Hope, as part of its Fiber To The Home plan. Industry, Swan Creek, Smithshire, Colchester and Littleton finished the fiber conversion process in 2020 and 2021; and Raritan, Adair, and Bardolph finished off the fiber conversion build in 2022, making MTC 100% FIBER TO THE PREMISE. The seventh principle followed by cooperatives is concern for community.
McDonough Telephone’s responsibility to its members goes beyond providing good services at good prices. The cooperative and its employees participate in and support the communities they serve by donating time, money and services to help these areas grow and prosper.
Mission Statement
To provide value-based telecommunications services that improve the quality of life for our members and the financial viability of the cooperative.
We will accomplish our mission by deploying appropriate technologies, at justifiable costs, with skilled and motivated employees,
while being a good citizen in our community.
1. Voluntary and Open Membership
Cooperatives are voluntary organizations, open to all persons able to use their services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without gender, social, racial, political or religious discrimination.2. Democratic Member Control
Cooperatives are democratic organizations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting their policies and making decisions. Men and women serving as elected representatives are accountable to the membership. Members have equal voting rights – one member, one vote.3. Members’ Economic Participation
Members contribute equally to, and democratically control, the capital of their cooperative. A cooperative business returns margins to their patrons. Any margins (or profits) are credited to each member’s capital credit account. Each member’s share of the capital credits for the year depends on the amount each individual paid into the cooperative during that year and on the total margins of the cooperative for the year. Capital credits are retained for a number of years and the money is used as operating capital. Retaining capital credits reduces borrowing needs. Capital credits are paid to all people who were members in a certain year. Each year members receive a notice showing the amount of capital credits that have been credited to their account for the past year.4. Autonomy and Independence
Cooperatives are autonomous, self-help organizations controlled by their members. If they enter into agreements with other organizations, including governments, or raise capital from external sources, they do so on terms that ensure democratic control by their members and maintain their cooperative autonomy.5. Education, Training, and Information
Cooperatives provide education and training for their members, elected representatives, managers and employees so they can contribute effectively to the development of their cooperatives. They inform the general public about the nature and benefits of cooperatives.6. Cooperation Among Cooperatives
Cooperatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the cooperative movement by working together through local, national, regional, and international structures.7. Concern for Community
While focusing on member needs, cooperatives work to improve the quality of life in the areas they serve.MTC Recognized as Smart Rural Community Provider
The Smart Rural Community® (SRC) program is a national network of communities powered by innovative rural broadband providers that are building a brighter future for small-town America. NTCA – The Rural BroadBand Association’s program promotes rural broadband and its role in supporting innovative economic development, effective education, efficient energy distribution and use, state-of-the-art health care, and other important issues for rural America—especially reliable, high speed broadband access.
MTC uses fiber to expand reliable broadband service to students, schools, families, farmers, businesses, medical facilities, and communities every day. We are dedicated to improving quality of life in our communities by providing access to a scalable fiber internet at an affordable price over a reliable network.
MTC is proud to be recognized by this program and will continue working towards its goals of providing Fiber To The Home service, equal opportunities for education, resources, entrepreneurship and more to its territories and surrounding communities.
MTC FIBER AREAS
MTC finished deploying FIBER OPTIC to all of its McDonough Telephone service areas in October of 2022. This FIBER conversion finished a whole year ahead of schedule with the help of MTC’s dedicated team.
McDonough Telephone started building FIBER to its ILEC areas in the mid 2010s, and now has a 100% ALL-FIBER optic infrastructure that allows members to get and stay connected with reliable, lightning-fast internet.
Now, McDonough Telephone’s subsidiary, MTC Communications, is building fiber in the surrounding areas to connect neighboring communities with reliable internet.
Blue: McDonough Telephone Fiber To The Home Areas
Adair, Bardolph, Blandinsville, Colchester/Tennessee, Colusa, Good Hope/Sciota, Industry, Littleton, Lomax, Raritan, Smithshire, Swan Creek
Follow us on Facebook to keep up with our Fiber progress!
Board of Directors
Learn about your neighbors serving as your cooperative leaders to represent the interests of the community.
Employees
Learn about who makes up our trained staff and how they work to provide you with the best service possible.