If you live in Mankato or North Mankato, you’re wanted.

You’re wanted by HickoryTech and you’re wanted by Charter Communications.

And don’t forget Dish Network and Direct TV. They want you, too.

The battle for television, Internet and telephone customers in the area has hit an unprecedented pitch.

“We just keep trying to add more niches, more services to compete. It’s a constant battle,” said Tucker Carlson, a spokesman for Charter in Minnesota.

Charter, one of the nation’s largest cable operators, has held much of the local TV business, with its primary competitors in recent years being satellite TV.

Now Mankato-based HickoryTech, the 110-year-old phone company, is taking Charter head-on.

For consumers, it brings a flurry of sometimes confusing solicitations for limited-time introductory offers with a dizzying number of options.

‘Bundling’ services

The most popular offerings for consumers are “bundled” packages of services — getting digital TV, high-speed Internet and telephone service from one provider.

“Bundling is the big thing. One package, one bill and it’s the best value,” Carlson said.

Determining the lowest cost or best value is a moving target. Both HickoryTech and Charter offer a bundle of three services for about $70 a month for 12 months.

For packages that don’t include premium movie channels, the “regular” cost after the 12-month promo period is in the $100 range, plus a variety of government fees and taxes. Even those extra fees can vary based on the exact services and because the cable and telephone industries are regulated differently.

Comparing each service is also difficult because the companies offer slightly different channel lineups and packages.

HickoryTech touts its free installation, no-rental-fee digital box, the ability for customers to pick some of the channels they want to add to their service, and the fact it’s a local company.