By Trisha Marczak, staff writer

Customers of Southern Minnesota Internet Group — better known as SMIG — won’t experience much of a change when Jaguar Communications officially takes over the Internet service provider on Sept. 16.

The Owatonna-based Internet, telephone and television provider officially sealed the deal with Austin-based SMIG on Wednesday, which means Jaguar will now take over all SMIG operations under a new name.

While Jaguar will be the name customers see on the bill, Mike Wilker, Jaguar network engineer, said customers will keep their SMIG e-mail addresses, as well as any phone numbers already in service. Rates will stay the same, and Jaguar will honor any service already paid for through SMIG.

“From a customer standpoint, everything will remain the same,” Wilker said.

Internet service is expected to become more advanced in coming years, Wilker said, as SMIG’s network is integrated into the Jaguar system.

“We’ll be providing or making available to the customers higher DSL speeds, and we’ll offer them a fiber-optic service that we have available,” he said.

The Hormel Institute announced in June that it would be breaking ties with SMIG by September.

SMIG has provided Internet services to southern Minnesota since 1995.

The acquisition of SMIG may be new to Jaguar, but Austin certainly isn’t. Having been based in Owatonna since the company’s start 10 years ago, Jaguar has provided television, telephone and Internet service in the Austin area for more than six years.

Jaguar Communications acquired Desk Top Media out of Albert Lea two years ago.

Bundle packages, including television, telephone and Internet services will continue to be available.

In Albert Lea, the Jaguar office is at 705 Marshall St. In Austin, it is at 111 Main St.