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Long Lines Broadband Appoints Joe Junck to President and General Manager; Paul Bergmann Retires After Nearly 40 Years of Service
Sergeant Bluff, IA (January 22, 2026) Long Lines Broadband today announced it is promoting Joe Junck to lead the company following the retirement of President and General Manager Paul Bergmann after nearly 40 years of service with the company. Junck and Bergmann have begun the transitional leadership process in advance of Bergmann's retirement at the end of March 2026.
After 23 years of service with Long Lines Broadband, most recently as Director of Field Operations, Junck has been appointed President and General Manager. He will carry on Bergmann’s legacy, building on the strong foundation and commitment to customer service and innovation. He will lead company operations, including current and future Flight Fiber infrastructure investments, that bring local customers cutting edge connectivity solutions within the expanding service areas of the tri-state region.
“Paul has dedicated nearly 40 years to the company in various progressive leadership roles, and has been an invaluable part of our business," said Diego Anderson, President, Schurz Broadband Group. “We are incredibly grateful for his dedication and lasting contributions, and we wish him nothing but the best in his next chapter of retirement. We are also delighted to see Joe step into this role. His vast experience and entrepreneurial growth mindset are ideal for continuing the tradition of great success at Long Lines.”
“After four decades with this company, I feel truly blessed by the people and experiences along the way,” said Bergmann. “Working in this small, close-knit organization allowed me to build successful relationshipsthat became friendships and, in many ways, felt like family. Long Lines is very fortunate to have Schurz Communications as its parent company, as the team genuinely cares about its people.
I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished together and thrilled to pass the leadership to Joe.”
Junck brings over 25 years of progressive telecommunications and broadband infrastructure connectivity experience into this role. His vast career spans across installation, customer service, network operations, maintenance and successfully leading construction of major Fiber expansion initiatives within the company. Earlier, Joe and his wife operated their own business for nearly six years and grew it into a successfuloperation, gaining experience in sales management, financial discipline, and customer experience.
“I’m honored to step into this role and build on the strong foundation that Paul built,” said Junck. “We willcontinue advancing Flight Fiber product solutions for our customers by delivering the most reliable network and footprint possible, while always putting customer care first. Our growth reflects the strength of our team and our commitment to follow through, and I’m proud of the way we serve our customers and communities.
With new services launching in 2026, I’m excited about what’s ahead.”
Junck is based in Long Lines Broadband’s headquarters office in Sergeant Bluff, IA.
Joe Junck
Long Lines Broadband Invests $25 Million to Expand Flight Fiber
Rural Iowa, South Dakota, and Nebraska Communities to Benefit
Sergeant Bluff, IA (December 10, 2024) Long Lines Broadband announced a significant expansion of its broadband Flight Fiber network in rural Iowa, South Dakota and town installations in Nebraska. With a $25M investment over the past five years, Long Lines is providing nearly 500 new miles of fiber for communities including:
South Dakota
Jefferson and Elk Point
Iowa
Salix, Sloan, and Sergeant Bluff
Key in-town installations in Sergeant Bluff
Nebraska
Key in-town installations in Dakota City, South Sioux City
Long Lines is proud to provide the first fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) connections available to these rural regions, enabling faster and more reliable broadband service and providing access to underserved rural areas.
In addition to the rural expansion, Dakota City, South Sioux City, and Sergeant Bluff are now designated as "Gigabit Cities," offering fiber-to-the-home connectivity city-wide with speeds exceeding 1GB. This achievement is remarkable, especially given the populations of these communities: South Sioux City (13,706), Dakota City (2,025), and Sergeant Bluff (5,253), based on 2022 statistics. Many larger cities do not have fiber service for every home or comparable speeds.
The expansion was made possible through a combination of government grants from Iowa and South Dakota, as well as investments from Long Lines and Schurz Communications. Thanks to this funding, many of these rural areas are receiving high speed broadband for the first time. Alongside new installations in Sergeant Bluff, Long Lines is also converting existing DOCSIS customers to FTTH, providing for a significant increase in broadband speeds. Currently Long Lines offers broadband speeds of 1.5GB, 1GB, 750MB, 500MB, and 250MB, with an exciting 2.3GB option on the horizon.
Paul Bergmann, CEO of Long Lines Broadband, emphasized the importance of this expansion: “At Long Lines, we believe that access to fast, reliable internet is a necessity in today’s digital world. By expanding Flight Fiber to underserved rural communities, we are creating opportunities for education, business, and healthcare. This expansion, supported by state grants, reflects our continuing commitment to providing state-of-the-art communication technology to the communities we serve.”
Long Lines Broadband is committed to continuing its investments in infrastructure, ensuring that rural and urban communities alike have access to the fastest and most reliable internet services available.
Founded in Sergeant Bluff, Iowa in 1941, Long Lines is a pioneer in the telecommunications industry. Serving 27 communities throughout the tri-state area, Long Lines delivers innovative residential and business class fiber, broadband, video, and phone services. With the highest standards of customer and technical service, Long Lines became part of the Schurz Communications family of broadband properties in 2015. Other Schurz broadband properties include Antietam Broadband, Burlington Telecom, Hiawatha Broadband Corporation, NKTelco and Orbitel Communications.
Contact:
Pam Adams
Padams@longlines.biz
Long Lines Launches Flight Video
Replaces existing video service for all customers as of October 15, 2024
Sergeant Bluff, IA. September 13, 2024. Flight Video, the latest high-tech streaming service, is now being rolled out by Long Lines Broadband. This new customer viewing experience brings you the best of cable TV and streaming all in one product. Flight Video will replace the current traditional linear cable tv service offered by Long Lines as of October 15, 2024. Current customers will need to convert their video service to Flight Video before October 15, 2024, to continue receiving their favorite channels. Customers can self-install Flight Video or currently Long Lines will install at no charge.
This change is being made as a solution to a 3rd party equipment issue that Long Lines believes would negatively impact customers in the near future. Long Lines moved rapidly, invested in new technology, to resolve this issue and ensure customers not only had uninterrupted service but were afforded the best viewing experience at no additional cost to customers.
Paul Bergmann, President/General Manager of Long Lines is excited to bring Flight Video to the region. “Flight Video is a high-quality product that replaces our current video service. You will be amazed at your entertainment choices and how easy it is to use Flight Video. This is streaming like you have never seen before. Flight Video is part of the more than $25M we have invested in the community in the past five years to bring the latest technology to our customers.”
Flight Video combines Long Lines broadband service with the latest video technology, delivering an additional 145 streaming channels into your home including al your favorite channels. All customers can choose to bring their own device or use Long Lines’ Force 1 box on each television in their home. The Flight Video app is available on most mobile devices and smart TVs. If you don’t own a smart TV the Force 1 box will turn almost any television into a smart TV. Flight Video by Long Lines can also be accessed on your favorite web browser.
Founded in Sergeant Bluff, Iowa in 1941, Long Lines is a pioneer in the telecommunications industry. Serving 27 communities throughout the tri-state area, Long Lines delivers innovative residential and business class fiber, broadband, video, and phone services. With the highest standards of customer and technical service, Long Lines became part of the Schurz Communications family of broadband properties in 2015. Other broadband properties include Antietam Broadband, Burlington Telecom, Hiawatha Broadband Corporation, NKTelco and Orbitel Communications.
Contact:
Pam Adams
Padams@longlines.biz