Maquoketa Valley Electric Cooperative (MVEC) was organized December 27, 1935. MVEC is a private, nonprofit electric utility owned by the members it serves and was established to provide reliable, electric service at the lowest possible cost. MVEC serves over 13,000 members in the Eastern Iowa Counties of Delaware, Dubuque, Jackson and Jones and portions of five surrounding counties. The Cooperative is a nationwide leader in smart grid technology that has significantly improved service reliability, making MVEC one of the most reliable electric utilities in Iowa. This investment created a need for greater bandwidth to collect the wealth of data available and to expand the network to communicate with line equipment outside of the substations. In 2016, MVEC's board of directors approved the design and construction of a high speed fiber optic system to meet the Cooperative's bandwidth needs and to improve the quality of life of its members via a direct fiber connection to each member's home or business. The MVlink fiber optic initiative parallels the extension of electric services into rural Iowa over 80 years ago. Today, the need for rural Iowan's to be connected to the world is as great as the need for electricity was back in the 1930's. Construction continues with over 2,200 miles of fiber complete and 5,000 members taking service with up to 1 GB symmetrical service. This institution is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.