VoIP Providers & Business Phone Companies in Steele, ND

BEK Communications Cooperative is a member-owned telecommunications provider based in Steele, North Dakota, that supplies hosted business phone systems alongside fiber connectivity and related technology.

Its business voice offering, marketed as BEK Connect, is a VoIP platform intended to tie office handsets, PCs and smartphones together so that staff can handle calls and messages from wherever they happen to be working. For buyers comparing regional phone companies, BEK combines a cloud-based voice product with ownership of the underlying fiber network that carries it.

VoIP services and products

BEK Connect is built around software from established vendors rather than a proprietary system. Webex provides the unified communications layer, linking Yealink handsets with desktop and smartphone apps for calling, chat, voicemail and meetings. Business text messaging runs through Captivated, letting employees send and receive texts on the company's existing number.

For contact centers, the cooperative offers call management tools with reporting, analytics and live data on call activity. Hardware listed on the site includes Yealink desk models such as the T58W, T57W, T54W and T53W, an EXP50 expansion module and cordless handsets, along with meeting tools and panic buttons.

The voice platform can be paired with BEK Secure Access Solutions, which cover access control hardware, camera-based entry units and integration with wireless locks designed to operate with the phone system. Other business lines include fiber internet, surveillance, audio solutions and BEK Care Solutions, a nurse call and communication product for healthcare settings.

Who it serves

The company positions BEK Connect for organizations of nearly any size, and names several sectors in particular:

• Businesses from small to large
• Hospitality, retail and service companies
• Healthcare and assisted living facilities
• Schools and government agencies
• Call centers and fully remote teams
• Law and financial firms

BEK handles projects from the initial setup onward. Its team installs the system, delivers training on site and supports users with how-to videos, printed guides and an online user portal. The cooperative also frames hosted voice as a way to move phone costs from purchased equipment, depreciation and upkeep into a predictable monthly operating expense, freeing internal IT staff for other work. Prospective customers can arrange a consultation to scope a tailored setup.

Background

Residents of three counties, Burleigh, Emmons and Kidder, formed the cooperative in 1952, and the initials of those counties became its name. Headquarters has remained in Steele, with additional offices in Bismarck and Valley City.

Service has expanded from roughly 6,000 customers to nearly 11,000 across twelve counties in south-central and eastern North Dakota, and fiber construction continues around Valley City and in rural Morton County. Within its cooperative districts, subscribers to qualifying services, BEK Connect included, can become member-owners who vote, elect a nine-person board and may receive capital credits.

The cooperative holds ownership stakes in Dakota Carrier Network and North Dakota Long Distance, and it also runs a statewide sports broadcasting service plus several regional television stations.