Manifest Destiny

Dakota Services Ltd. used to be a Midwestern competitive local exchange carrier hopeful with big dreams. With $135 million in new investment and financing in hand, the company now feels equipped to take on the nation.

Dakota, which currently offers digital subscriber line service in 12 Midwest markets, is changing its name to @Link Networks and broadening its network presence to 1000 central offices in 34 more markets all over the map.

The expansion is being accomplished with a $45 million investment from Madison Dearborn Partners of Chicago and $90 million in equipment financing from an undisclosed source. The company also plans to file for an initial public offering soon.

If successful, @Link could become a player among the data CLECs that have recently come into favor on Wall Street. The company attributes its staying power to its technology commitment and its drive for services beyond data.

"We have a solid technology base, and we're going to continue to focus on being a technology company," said Ted Lasser, CEO of @Link. "We're doing more than providing fast access to the Internet. We are becoming enablers of e-commerce."

An early relationship with Ascend Communications that included financing has since fizzled, Lasser said, and the carrier is now preparing to deploy gear from other vendors.

As for the identity change, the company decided its old name was ineffective for both customer and financial relations. "Dakota did not depict anything-it didn't say anything about where we were going or what we do," Lasser said. "This is positioning us for Wall Street."

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