AUGUST 25, 2023:
The State of South Dakota is taking applications for the final round of funding for the Connect SD program.
Governor Kristi Noem says up to $27 million will be awarded to help connect more areas of rural South Dakota to high-speed broadband internet.
Noem says this investment is critical to both workforce development and to future economic development.
Grant applications will be available soon on the Connect SD website.
The Connect SD broadband program has connected tens of thousands of households and businesses to high-speed broadband and invested nearly $270-million since the program began in 2019.
Noem made the announcement during the South Dakota Telecommunications Association Conference held in Deadwood earlier this week (Aug. 20-22, 2023).
MAY 4, 2023:
The latest round of ConnectSD grants includes over $8.5 million ($8,681,523) to improve broadband availability in rural Fort Pierre, Stanley County and the northwest part of the Lower Brule Sioux Reservation. Venture Vision is the company receiving funds for this expansion.
Over $32 million in grants were awarded to nine different applicants for 13 separate locations. These projects leverage private matching dollars for a total investment of over $47 million in broadband infrastructure statewide, connecting 3,137 households, farms and businesses.
So far, Governor Kristi Noem and the Governor’s Office of Economic Development have leveraged $58 million of state general funds with $89 million of federal funds and $122 million of private investment funds from broadband providers through the ConnectSD program. These investments total over $269.5 million in broadband expansion. ConnectSD has awarded 103 grants or projects and has connected or is in the process of connecting almost 31,000 locations that either did not have internet or were underserved before starting this program in 2019.
To find further information and coverage maps, the ConnectSD program can be found online at: https://sdgoed.com/partners/connectsd/.
A full list of this round of ConnectSD grant recipients is below.
The following is a list of the awardees and location:
- Venture Vision – Stanley County, Rural Ft. Pierre, North West Lower Brule Reservation, $8,681,523;
- Golden West Telecommunications Cooperative, Inc. – South East of Leserville, Rural Utica, $1,768,976;
- Golden West Telecommunications Cooperative, Inc. – Rapid Valley, West New Underwood, Caputa, $5,216,655;
- Leap Communications, LLC – Rural South of Lennox, $440,000;
- Leap Communications, LLC – Rural Irene, Mayfield, $3,533,900;
- Long Lines Broadband (dba, Jefferson Telephone Company, LLC) – Rural Elk Point (Going North East & West of I-29), $1,219,176;
- Alliance Communications Cooperative, Inc. – Rural Beresford, Union Groves St. Pk, Nora SD (East & West of I-29), $5,148,021;
- Hanson Communications Inc (dba, Mt. Rushmore Telephone Company) – Keystone-Hermosa Areas, $954,663;
- Midco (Midcontinent Communications) – Ashland Heights, Sheridan Lake RD, Peaceful Pines, Ridgeview, Blackhawk, $2,675,151;
- Midco (Midcontinent Communications) – Rural area west of the City of Yankton, $530,461;
- SDN Communications – SF Public Safety Building/State Radio Location, $34,320;
- Gallatin Wireless Internet LLC (dba, Celerity Internet) – South East of Spearfish, Eagle Ridge, Eagle Crest (South of I-90), $725,643; and,
- Gallatin Wireless Internet LLC (dba, Celerity Internet) – North of Rapid City, Haines Ave, East of Piedmont, South from Elk Creek Rd, $1,533,288.
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