TDS Telecom ~ Island Phone
TDS
Telecom acquired Island Telephone Company in 1989 from Vic and Louise Shapley.
The original building that stood here burned many years ago and was replaced by
the tan colored building which houses the office area for TDS on the
island. The gray stone building accommodates all the equipment required to
give the island phone service.
How do phone transmissions get to the mainland when you're out in the middle of Lake Michigan? The phone service is via a microwave tower on Sloptown Road to an Ameritech's tower in Stutsmanville, Michigan.
Beaver Island has a year around Customer Service Technician, Rich Bucholtz started working for TDS in October of 2000. He's a great addition not only to the TDS family of employees, but to the island itself.
Looking into the future, TDS plans to work the Ameritech to update the microwave "dish" to digital however no date has been scheduled for the change.