Governor Kristi Noem is so committed to expanding broadband in rural South Dakota that she’s giving companies state grants to build competing services in areas that have already gotten federally subsidized communications infrastructure:
In the Mitchell area, Mitchell Telecom used a $441,470 state grant to install fiber-optic cable. Midco has $5 million in support from the Federal Communications Commission to deploy broadband in several under-served areas of South Dakota. That includes the Mitchell area, where Midco is installing fixed wireless towers that send broadband signals through the air.
Midco said it is not aware of the details of Mitchell Telecom’s project. Mitchell Telecom said the same about Midco.
…In the Beresford-Alcester area, Midco used $306,199 in state grant money to install fixed wireless towers. Premier Communications, based in Iowa, is using federal money to expand into that area with fiber-optic cable.
Premier Communications said it lacks details on Midco’s project. Midco said it eventually became aware of the overlap and considered using a federal process to challenge Premier’s project. But Midco said the size of the overlap is insufficient to warrant a challenge [Seth Tupper, “Broadband Program Creates Some Unplanned Overlaps in Service,” SDPB, 2020.03.13].
If you live in the quarter of the state that doesn’t have access to 25mbps+ broadband, don’t fret; take the Al Novstrup approach: if you don’t like where you live, move someplace better, like Mitchell, Beresford, Alcester, where state intrusion in the marketplace is promoting multiple options for broadband service.
Mitchell, Beresford and Alcestor are where Klueless Kristi looks first? Is she aware that there is a western half of SD? Or an area north of highway 12? Maybe looking at an area with No broadband, rather than doubling up???
smh 🙄🙄🙄