Wisconsin Independent Network, LLC (WIN) was formed in June of 1997 through the collaborative effort of seven Independent Local Telephone Companies in northwestern Wisconsin. The goal was to build a fiber network through their exchanges to provide toll diversity for their customer base. With the completion of the fiber network, there would also be an opportunity to make bandwidth on this new network commercially available to carriers and businesses.

WIN's operations began in early 1999. The initial network was a 325-mile folded OC-48 SONET fiber ring between Hager City, Wisconsin and Iron River, Wisconsin. This eventually became a 640-mile fully diverse and redundant OC-48 SONET ring between Minneapolis, Eau Claire, WI and Superior, WI, with seven additional POP sites along the ring.

Member company managers formed the Board of Directors of WIN and operated WIN, with consultant assistance, until the hiring of Scott Hoffmann as Executive Director in March 1999. Eleven additional Independent Telephone Companies joined WIN between July of 1998, and August 1999, for a total of eighteen member companies.

On May 1, 2000, WIN merged with the twelve member companies of Crystal Communications, LLC, forming a holding company called Communications Management Group, LLC, (CMG), with WIN now a subsidiary of CMG. Today there are thirty-one Independent Local Telephone Company members of CMG.

Since May 2001, WIN has added eight more fully redundant OC-192 and OC-48 rings to its network, which now encompasses over 2500 route miles, featuring fifty POPs with full DS1, DS3, OC-3, and OC-12 add-drop capability. OC-48, Ethernet and Wavelength services can also be offered over the network.