Blog & Tools

We’re proud to announce that Mark Shlanta, former SDN Communications Chief Executive Officer, will be inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame (SDHoF) this fall.

Ryan Punt didn’t always dream of a career in telecommunications. The Stickney High School grad studied accounting his freshman year of college, at the urging of his parents. But it was the mid-1990s, and this thing called the internet was exploding around the world.

SDN Communications' teams have plenty of projects on their plate for 2022. The fiber footprint is growing more than ever before and the SDN Data Center is doubling in size - all in an effort to support and deliver UPTIME to customers and member companies.

Starting 23 years ago, two young men working to advance South Dakota broadband services met for breakfast before every SDN Communications board meeting. Newly hired SDN CEO Mark Shlanta and newly elected SDN Board President Bryan Roth found value in the face-to-face meetings to drive success for the young company.

Jamie Stanley, a carrier management coordinator at SDN Communications, was recently featured in SiouxFalls.Business, as an Up-And-Comer in the community and leadership roles with the company.

SDN Communications sees the value of investing in employees to foster leadership. So much so, a new program is underway to further develop a culture of personal and professional growth.

With 12-inch thick concrete walls able to withstand an F4 tornado (200+ mph winds), the SDN Communications Data Center northwest of Sioux Falls sometimes gets referred to as the “Bunker,” and now it’s going to double in size for potential future tenants.

One realtor calls the ReConnect project “revolutionary,” and is excited for the possibilities it will bring. “For people who want to live and work remotely in this area, having high-speed internet is imperative. This will be amazing.”

The recent passing of our visionary and former, long-serving CEO Mark Shlanta casts a dark shadow over our office. But as we try to find our bearings in his passing, Vernon Brown shares the more personal leadership gifts he provided.

SDN’s employees and Member Companies mourn the loss of its former, long-time visionary Chief Executive Officer Mark Shlanta. He died February 23, 2022, just more than a week after his 57th birthday and following a two-year battle with cancer.

The independent broadband companies of South Dakota have made huge strides in delivering fiber internet services across the state. In fact, 93% of South Dakota homes, businesses and farms served by rural telecommunication companies are connected by high-speed fiber,

Imagine a world without the reliable services SDN Communications delivers every day. It could be a nightmare for IT professionals, remote workers, and even parents of sick kids trying to do a telehealth visit.

Sarah Tuntland calls herself a problem solver — whether that’s crunching numbers as part of her day job or volunteering with non-profit boards across the community.

Dan Eich is the Director of Wholesale and Carrier Management for SDN Communications, where he’s been employed since 2010. How he got there can be traced back to missing out on a field trip.

One of my best friends, Greg Dean, was a lobbyist – the “Dean of the South Dakota lobbyists” – who earned that designation by representing the reason we have lobbyists in government: Their power for good.

When it comes down to it, people want to read about other people and how technology affects those people. So, it should be no surprise to learn that SDN Communications' top blog article of 2021 was about two people in the company.

With the state of South Dakota’s heavy investment in fiber connectivity for residential and business internet, critics argue satellite services could be the better option. A national internet connectivity expert based in Mitchell says that’s wrong for several reasons.

Investments from federal and state governments as well as the private sector have made a significant impact on expanding broadband access in South Dakota. But there is still work to be done and more dollars needed.

After more than 21 years as CEO of SDN Communications, Mark Shlanta is stepping down. On Monday, December 20, SDN Vice President of Sales, Ryan Punt, will become CEO and lead the company that has evolved to become an industry-leading provider of telecommunications services.

An upgraded SDN Communications fiber route to Denver will improve connectivity, performance and UPTIME for companies with offices, warehouses, or other connectivity needs west or south of South Dakota.