It’s easy to get lost in the technology in delivering broadband services, but it’s the human element that makes it a worthwhile, rewarding career. That’s been reinforced with me recently.

Just before Christmas, SDN turned up high-speed broadband services to the schools along Highway 14 between Huron and Brookings. Students and staff in Iroquois, De Smet, Lake Preston, Arlington and Volga have long been starved for faster service. They’ve been receiving their services via old, copper phone lines. SDN’s fiber delivers the service up to five times faster – 10 Megabits per second.

The state’s Bureau of Information and Telecommunications (BIT) is collecting and compiling data on the availability and use of broadband services throughout South Dakota. In order to complete this major undertaking, the state is asking all citizens to take an online speed test. This data is then collected, analyzed and used to increase broadband access to underserved areas.

From live auctions to emergency assistance, broadband is making a difference throughout South Dakota.

Watch our YouTube video to see clips from SDN's Project Connect South Dakota Ribbon Cutting at the State Fair in Huron on September 1st.

This summer being as wet as it has, getting cable in the ground has been a challenge for our cabling crew.  A crew at the James River in Huron had to improvise to get the job done.

The first undersea telecommunications cable was laid in the 1840s. Now, undersea cables span the globe, connecting all corners of the earth. In a new, interactive map, users can see the landing point and various speeds of each cable line.

This is the time of year when all satellite services, including cable television, suffer from sun outages.  In brief summary, the Sun outages occur twice a year, generally around spring and fall equinox when the Sun is in direct alignment with satellites.