08/18/2026
🎉Celebrating 125 Years!!
Building for Tomorrow: The Late ’90s & Early 2000s
The late 1990s and early 2000s were an exciting time at Mulberry Telecommunications. Business was booming, technology was changing rapidly, and we were investing in the future of our members and our communities.
By 1997, our telephone subscriber base had grown to more than 2,500 lines, reflecting the continued growth of the communities we proudly serve.
Then, in 1998, we took another major step forward with the creation of Mintel.net, and Mulberry began offering dial-up Internet service to our members. For many, this was their first connection to the rapidly expanding world of the Internet and Mulberry was there to help bring that technology home.
As we approached the Y2K era, another transformation was already underway: DSL Internet service was beginning to take shape. Faster, always-on Internet would soon become an important part of everyday life, and Mulberry was once again positioning itself to meet the changing needs of our members.
But Internet wasn't the only area where we were growing.
During this period, Mulberry launched our own long-distance telephone service and expanded our telecommunications footprint through CLEC operations in portions of Dayton that were outside our original ILEC territory. These investments allowed us to expand our services while continuing to build on the cooperative's strong telecommunications foundation.
And the growth continued. Telephone subscriber lines surpassed 3,000, marking another significant milestone for Mulberry.
Then, in 2003, another important investment was made when Mulberry invested in Indiana Fiber Network (IFN).
At the time, IFN was helping build a statewide fiber-optic telecommunications network, connecting communities, businesses, telecommunications providers, schools, healthcare organizations and other institutions across Indiana. The network provided high-capacity fiber infrastructure that could be used to transport voice, data and Internet traffic—helping create the foundation for the broadband-connected Indiana we know today.
For Mulberry, the investment was about more than simply keeping up with technology. It was about looking ahead. The same forward-thinking approach that led us from traditional telephone service to dial-up Internet, DSL, long-distance and expanded telecommunications services was preparing us for a future built on fiber.
Looking back, these investments may have seemed like the next step at the time. Today, they are part of the story of how Mulberry Telecommunications continued to evolve, invest and prepare for the future—while staying true to the members and communities we serve.
From telephone lines to fiber-optic connections, the technology has changed. Our commitment to our communities has not.
To Celebrate our 125th Anniversary we have been randomly drawing winners each month and applying bill credits. Winners of this month’s $125 Bill Credits are:
Christy Thomason
Brian Henry
Congratulation from Mulberry Telecommunications! Thank you for choosing us to be your service provider!
