Network Disclosure

SOUTH DAKOTA NETWORK, LLC
NETWORK MANAGEMENT POLICIES

I. Commitment

South Dakota Network, LLC (dba SDN Communications) (“SDN”) is owned by South Dakota-based independent and cooperative telecommunications companies. It was initially formed in 1989 to operate a tandem switch providing centralized equal access and wholesale, resold long-distance services for its owner companies. Starting in the mid-1990s, SDN deployed a statewide broadband network providing data transport and Internet services to its owner companies. With that Internet deployment, the company expanded its customer base to commercial customers including entities like state government, schools, banks and health care providers. SDN has consistently provided retail and wholesale broadband access and services to anyone who requests it for any lawful purpose so long as the customer acts in accordance with established tariff and/or contractual obligations. SDN will connect its broadband and data transport services directly or indirectly to a customer making a bona fide request at any point on its network funded by the ARRA program where technically feasible without exceeding current or reasonably anticipated capacity limitations, and at reasonable and competitive prices and terms negotiated with requesting parties. SDN does not provide residential voice grade local exchange service to customers.

II. General Policies

A. SDN will manage its network and provide access in accordance with the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) Open Internet Rules (adopted December 21, 2010) and in compliance with any future Internet policies or rules adopted by the FCC or other appropriate federal or state regulatory body having jurisdiction over SDN's services. To ensure Open Access to the Broadband Internet, SDN will not unjustly or unreasonably:

• Block, interfere with or degrade a customer’s ability to access, use, send, post, receive, or offer lawful content (including fair use), applications, or services of the customer’s choice;
• Block, interfere with or degrade a customer’s ability to connect and use the customer’s choice of legal devices that do not harm the network;
• Prevent or interfere with competition among network, application, service or content providers;
• Engage in discrimination against any lawful Internet content, application, service or service provider with respect to network management practices, network performance characteristics, or commercial terms and conditions;
• Give preference to affiliated content, applications, or services with respect to network management practices, network performance characteristics, or commercial terms and conditions;
• Charge a content, application, or service provider for access to SDN's broadband Internet access service customers based on differing levels of quality of service or prioritized delivery of Internet protocol packets;
• Prioritize among or between content, applications, and services or among or between different types of content, applications, and services unless the customer requests to have such prioritization.

B. SDN will

• Provide connections and transport services to the public Internet to customers;
• Negotiate in good faith with all requesting parties making a bona fide request for interconnection or wholesale services;
• Provide rates and terms for interconnection that are reasonable and nondiscriminatory.
• Use binding private arbitration to resolve broadband interconnection obligation disputes.

III. Network Security and Congestion Management Policies

For the safety and privacy of all customers, SDN:

• Utilizes standard industry practices for safeguarding intellectual property rights and customers’ privacy and security;
• Follows standard best efforts for Internet delivery with respect to the allocation of capacity without differentiation among applications, providers, or sources;
• Complies with the Online Copyright Infringement Liability Limitations Act, a portion of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act that allows Internet service providers to remove or disconnect customer access to copyright-infringing material;
• Uses generally accepted technical measures to provide acceptable service levels to all customers, such as application-neutral bandwidth allocation, as well as measures to address service attacks, illegal content and other harmful activities to protect network integrity and reliability; and
• Reserves the right to prioritize traffic based on real-time and non-real time applications during heavy congestion periods based on generally accepted technical measures.

IV. Commercial Pricing

SDN files tariffs with the FCC and SDPUC regarding the provision and pricing its switched access services. A link to SDN's tariffs is on this webpage.

SDN provides services by a negotiated contract containing industry and commercial nondiscriminatory and generally accepted terms and conditions. Pricing for a service is determined by the nature of the service, the customer location and the presence of SDN service facilities, the length of time the service is provided, and other considerations which impact the cost of providing the service. Prices may include nonrecurring charges to provide necessary service connection and monthly recurring charges related to service provisioning. Service initiation may also include additional charges for construction and other service arrangements where service will be provided to remote sites or involve complex installation requirements.

For additional information, to apply for service or to obtain a quote for services, please contact us.

Contact Us: Questions, Comments, Concerns

If you have any questions about SDN’s Network Management Policies, please contact us by calling our business office at 1-800-247-1442, writing us or coming to our business offices at 2900 West 10th Street, Sioux Falls, SD 57104; or by contacting us.

01/2014