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Topic: Business Internet

Lack of connectivity in Black Hills more than just an inconvenience

As far as the Silver City fire chief is concerned, he says the lack of internet and cell service in the area is a safety issue. He says it's putting lives and property at risk.
Weddings, conferences or everyday business, reliable internet is a must-have for events and venues

Ask any recently married couple whether reliable Wi-Fi was a concern for their big day and chances are it’s not at the top of their list. But wedding planner Renee Bauman, owner of Hitch Studio in Brookings, says reliable internet at a venue is right up there with restrooms and meeting spaces when it comes to event essentials.
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.
Credit union delivers UPTIME to customers by leveraging SDN's network partnerships

Highmark Credit Union employees view SDN Communications as one of their team members. “Anytime we reach out to make a change, a configuration or an upgrade, it’s on a first-name basis,” said Tony Pannone, Highmarks' Chief Information Officer.
The best vendor is the one you don’t have to think about

You don’t have to go far or wait any longer to find a network design that will meet tomorrow’s business needs. Luke Schwingler at Plains Commerce Bank is confident that’s exactly what they have today.
ReConnect Project: Supportive Public Comment Request

The U.S. Forest Service is asking residents in the Black Hills for public comment regarding the two grants the U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded SDN Communications in 2020 to expand broadband connectivity in the region.
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.
The law that will forever change SD's economy

It’s important we acknowledge neither the telephone nor electric service would have ever reached rural South Dakota without a government investment triggering a public partnership benefitting us yet today. The same can be said of high-speed broadband service.
Governor Kristi Noem Announces 24 Broadband Grant Awards

Governor Kristi Noem announced today that 24 grants have been awarded to fund broadband projects to better connect unserved and underserved areas across South Dakota.
Build Dakota scholarship offers debt-free tech degrees in high-need careers

2020 Mitchell Technical Institute graduate Connor Wendland’s face has appeared on several marketing pieces, including a billboard banner visible along Interstate 90. He wasn’t paid for his modeling gig but he did graduate debt-free thanks to the Build Dakota scholarship program.
Tribal telecom is unique in S.D. and distinguished nationally

Through the years, the C.R.S.T. Telephone Authority has served as a model, inspiration and national advocate for other tribal telecoms. Its network has been 100 percent fiber since 2016 and is growing.
Building the internet of tomorrow

SDN Communications constantly evaluates its entire network and plans for the future. The pandemic hasn’t changed that – it was a proof of performance. The projects planned for 2021 will continue to position the company’s network to meet future needs and improve the network in four key areas.
Broadband access for everyone? That's the goal of a bill in Pierre

Approximately 135,0000 South Dakotans do not have access to broadband to meet their needs. But a hallmark piece of legislation that aims to bring broadband service to all of South Dakota in a finite number of years is making progress through the 2021 legislative session.
Hope, Connection and People: The Top SDN Articles of 2020

The stories from 2020 certainly reflected the environment of the world, with people adjusting their schedules to stay safe during a global pandemic. But there were also stories of growth and investment, as well as faces of the industry.
Rich Coit says ‘so long’ after 27 years of leading SDTA

Rich Coit has played an important role in helping rural telecoms across the state to develop broadband connectivity and other telecommunications services for nearly 28 years. He's now moving to the next phase of his life as he retires from the SDTA.
Grants help S.D. make headway to extend lifeline, connect rural areas

With the help of two years of state and federal grant programs, telecoms serving rural South Dakota are adding nearly $100 million in infrastructure and significantly improving broadband services in underserved areas.
TV documentary on connecting rural SD is worth seeing

Bringing good, broadband connectivity to remote areas of South Dakota is a historic undertaking nearly as challenging and potentially as rewarding as was delivering electricity to rural residents in the mid-20th Century.
ICYMI: October was also National Co-op Month

Rushmore Electric Cooperative and its member cooperatives have stepped up to the challenge of bringing a collective, affordable power supply to rural western South Dakota. It's grown and evolved over the past seven decades. And that ongoing investment is worth celebrating beyond National Co-op Month.
One political issue everyone agrees on and it benefits South Dakota

Jennifer Fritzsche calls fiber the “connective tissue” that enables today’s online trends. And thanks to public-private partnerships with the state of South Dakota and the federal government, even more people and businesses in South Dakota are getting access to broadband connectivity.
Review the past to grasp the future of connected devices

The International Data Corporation, a global provider of IT information and other market services, has estimated that by 2025, the average person will interact with connected devices nearly 4,800 times a day. That’s about one interaction every 18 seconds.