They formed the first Board of Directors, which included James Gregg as president, Alex Hills, Albert Adams, Nellie Ward and Tommy Sheldon Sr. Then with the help of both Native corporations in Kotzebue (NANA and KIC), OTZ Telephone Cooperative Inc. was born to provide locally owned telephone service at affordable rates. The first years were dedicated to installing phones in region villages and building local infrastructure. In 1988, OTZ added two seats to the Board to better represent the villages. With the Telecommunications Act of 1996, OTZ Telecommunications was created to provide long distance service to members. As technologies advanced, so did OTZ. The company introduced its own Internet service in 1996 and was the first rural Alaska telecommunications company to provide high-speed Internet access to all communities in Northwest Alaska. OTZ also invested in the infrastructure necessary to provide wireless (cellphone) service in Kotzebue, then expanding to the villages. Over the years, OTZ has invested more than $18 million into making OTZ one of the best rural telephone cooperatives in the entire country. We currently serve 11 villages, covering over 38,000 miles and employ 21 employees — all right here in Northwest Alaska. Since that first meeting at Walsh’s Store, OTZ is still owned by us – all residing within the Cooperative service area or within the NANA Region.