Giving back
because it’s right
IdeaTek takes pride in being an active participant in the communities where we live and work. We provide local support through donations, sponsorships, and volunteer opportunities. If you have a cause or a project you think we should be involved in, let us know about it by completing the online form.
All requests must be submitted online. Our donation committee meets monthly to review requests. Priority consideration is given to our core focus areas:
• Community Development
• Education
• Youth Development
• Technology
• Health & Wellness
How We Can Help
Donations
We support a wide range of groups that meet our core focus areas, and we are always looking for new ways to support our communities. If you have a great idea, we want to know about it.
– Submit requests at least one month in advance.
Volunteers
Volunteering is part of who we are. We are proud that our employees generously share their time and talents to benefit the community.
– Requests must be for charitable causes.
– Submit requests at least three months in advance.
Corporate & Event Sponsorships
We are all in for corporate and event sponsorships.We enjoy working side-by-side with people who work for the businesses and organizations in the communities we support.
– For event sponsorships, submit requests at least three months in advance.
– Priority will be given to charitable organizations, community events, and causes.
– Requests from religious groups or churches will only be considered if the programs and projects benefit the broad community.
Donation Request Form
How We Got Here
Bringing Internet Freedom™ to the far reaches of Kansas is no small task. The thing is, we didn’t get into broadband because we wanted to start a business in Kansas. We started a business because we wanted to provide broadband to Kansans. There’s a difference.
In 1999, with only $250, co-founder Daniel Friesen and four friends from Buhler High School started IdeaTek as a computer repair business. Daniel continued to run the business in college while the four others left to pursue other interests.
In 2005, Daniel led IdeaTek into telecommunications by purchasing and turning around failing dial-up and DSL companies. This success funded the first fiber-to-home service in Buhler in 2007, followed by Inman, Haven, Yoder, Mount Hope and Bentley.
IdeaTek built its first fiber to a cell phone tower for Verizon Wireless.
Between 2012-2015, IdeaTek experienced exponential growth. That year, Daniel hired Jerrod Reimer, who had previously worked for a global manufacturing company, as CFO. From 2012 to 2014, we constructed 2,200 miles of fiber across the state under contract for Verizon, connecting more than 100 cellphone towers. During this period, the company saw an 89% sales growth and the near doubling of both the employee and customer base. Looking at other innovative ways to grow, we began to branch out into other ventures, including the dark fiber industry — a rare move for a telecommunications business at that time.
Our service area and employee base again expanded greatly from 2017 to 2020. A cloud-based phone system was added to the product line and, in 2018, the Federal Communications Commission awarded IdeaTek $6 million to deploy fiber to rural Harvey, Reno and Sedgwick counties.
In spring 2020, we acquired Skylink Wireless — adding wireless internet to our portfolio.
In October 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the vast need for everyone to have quality internet access at home, IdeaTek was awarded $13.7 million in federal funding to bring high-speed internet to 17 underserved Kansas counties. The company supplemented the project with $3.5 million in private investment.
We also were able to stretch the grant funding as far as possible by leveraging our existing large fiber network by 300 miles, then infilling all other underserved rural areas with 100 Mbps fixed wireless internet. This allowed us to reach more than 13,000 homes and businesses across central and western Kansas.
Today, we provide broadband to thousands of customers in nearly 50 Kansas communities. And, we are actively working on ways to bridge the digital gap and bring internet freedom to rural dwellers, businesses and schools across Kansas.
Headquartered in Buhler, Kan., Ideatek is a broadband service provider with the mission of “fighting for INTERNET FREEDOM™.” IdeaTek uses a unique and innovative approach to deploy scalable, long-term fiber optic infrastructures, bridging the broadband gap in rural communities. IdeaTek has long been a state and national advocate for broadband equity policy and has built nearly 4,500 miles of fiber throughout Kansas. They were recently named to Inc. 5000’s list of fastest growing companies for the seventh time.
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