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  1. Fiber, fiber and more fiber in 2022
    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.
  2. Former SDN CEO, board president bonded over advancing broadband, living with cancer
    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.
  3. SDN mourns loss of former CEO Mark Shlanta
    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.
  4. Rural telecommunication companies future-proof SD
    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,
  5. 'Dean of the South Dakota lobbyists' defied stereotype to become industry’s greatest advocate
    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.
  6. People are at the center of our 'Top 2021 Articles'
    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.
  7. 5 Reasons Why Fiber Internet Edges-out Satellite Service for South Dakota
    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.
  8. Local telecoms make progress connecting South Dakotans but work remains
    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.
  9. Change in Leadership at SDN Communications
    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.
  10. New fiber route to Denver strengthens SDN network
    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.
  11. A partnership connecting kids to education
    When the pandemic forced schools to switch to virtual learning in 2020, Crow Creek Tribal School was no exception. But for many of the students there, virtual learning was impossible because they did not have access to the internet.
  12. Broadband grant helps deliver life-changing connectivity to West Edgemont area
    Converting rural western South Dakota customers over to fiber optics within 10 years is a giant undertaking. A federal grant is helping make that possible for some customers in 2021.
  13. SD telecom leaders retire with nearly 70 years of industry leadership
    Three state telecommunications leaders stepped into retirement over the past year after having a front-row seat to the changes in the industry during the past two decades.
  14. The future of the telecommunications industry from two perspectives
    During the 2021 SDTA annual conference in Deadwood, industry experts Dan Caldwell and Carissa Swenson of Consortia Consulting debated the future of the rural broadband industry - where it’s going, how it will be funded and what it will look like.
  15. Passion for technology drives Austin Hansen to new GM role at BMTC
    Beresford native Austin Hansen began his telecommunications career while in high school. He worked at the Beresford Municipal Telephone Company (BMTC) as part of a School-to-Work program.
  16. Governor praises SDTA companies for ‘changing the ballgame’
    Gov. Kristi Noem wants telecommunications professionals in South Dakota to know they’ve changed the lives of people in the state.
  17. Bandemer leads ITC as it expands state-of-the-art broadband services
    As the new General Manager and CEO of ITC, Tracy Bandemer wants to ensure customers across the region continue to experience the most reliable and best possible speeds for services at home, work and school.
  18. Mutziger leading Midstate Communications as new GM
    The telecommunications industry has come a long way over the past two decades. Chad Mutziger with Midstate Communications remembers the excitement of offering speeds up to 56K when the company was referred to as a telephone company.
  19. Gov. Noem Announces 18 New Broadband Grant Awards
    Governor Kristi Noem announced today that 18 new grants have been awarded to fund broadband projects that will better connect unserved and underserved areas across South Dakota.
  20. $100,000 scholarship donation aims to keep homegrown ag talent home
    Agriculture is now as steeped in technology as any other industry. Thankfully, ag education in the state has stepped up to meet the challenges of this new agriculture reality with the addition of the precision agriculture program at South Dakota State University in Brookings.