South Dakota Network, LLC
South Dakota Network (SDN), a partnership of 27 independent telecom providers, proposed Project Connect South Dakota to add 140 miles of backbone network and 219 miles of middle mile spurs to SDN’s 1,850-mile fiber-optic network. This improvement in the network proposes to enable the delivery of at least 10 Mbps service to more than 220 existing anchor institution customers in rural and underserved areas of the state. The network also intends to connect more than 300 new anchor institutions, including public middle and high schools, libraries, universities, hospitals, clinics, public safety agencies, courthouses, government buildings, and National Guard facilities. Patients and hospitals are expected to benefit from the network through the use of telemedicine to update medical records, to conduct remote testing, and to provide diagnostic services. School children in sparsely populated areas are expected to benefit through improved participation in distance-learning programs.
