Internet Speed: 23.7 Mbps downlink; 4.4 Mbps uplink

Population: 860,000

Internet Coverage: 85% of residents

Main Internet Services: Cable, DSL, Fiber

Main Internet Service Providers: Midco, CenturyLink, Alliance

Colocation Datacenters: 4

According to Akamai.com. the average downlink Internet speed in South Dakota is 23.7 Mbps and the average uplink speed is 4.4 Mbps.

In 2016, the population of South Dakota was approximately 860,000. Over 85% of residents have access to the Internet, especially broadband connections.

Main Internet services provided in South Dakota are as follows:

– Cable – over 90% coverage
– DSL – over 90% coverage
– Fiber – less than 20% coverage

Main Internet Service Providers located in South Dakota are the following:

• Midco (Cable) – over 90% availability
• CenturyLink (DSL) – over 90% availability
• Alliance Communications (Fiber) – less than 20% availability

Gigabit Internet in South Dakota

Gigabit Internet is available in select South Dakota areas. In April 2017, Midco, one of the biggest players in the local market, announced that they would start rolling out gigabit Internet services to Sioux Falls, as well as some 11 surrounding communities. The service is provided through existing copper lines, using the latest DOCSIS 3.1 technology. Other companies have shown interest in offering gigabit services to residential customers located in this state, but because deploying the prerequisite infrastructure would require enormous investments, plans are being postponed.

According to datacentermap.com, there are currently 4 colocation datacenters located in South Dakota. Most facilities are located in Sioux Falls (3), followed by Yankton (1). These facilities are operated by two different companies, namely:

– TierPoint
– Dataware Services, LLC.

Prominent Colocation Providers & Datacenters – TierPoint

The biggest colocation provider in South Dakota is TierPoint. They operate a 7,000-square-foot datacenter located in downtown Sioux Falls. This datacenter specializes in providing retail colocation services, in addition to diverse disaster recovery, business continuity and backup services. The facility includes multiple substations, on-site diesel generators, N+1 UPS power equipment, N+1 CRAC units for continuous cooling. In addition to these amenities, the facility also offers carrier-neutrality, with unconditioned access to multiple telecommunications providers, and other colocation providers.

Dataware Services

Dataware Services operate two facilities located in Sioux Falls and Yankton respectively. Their Sioux Falls-based 1,500-square-foot datacenter provides retail colocation, in addition to other backup services, while their Yankton-based datacenter has 2,4000 square feet of colocation space, and provides the same services. Both facilities feature N+1 UPS power equipment, and redundant fiber connections to Internet backbone.

Colocation Industry in South Dakota

South Dakota is currently not a popular colocation market nationwide, and current trends indicate that this situation is not bound to change in the foreseeable future. While the state benefits from its relatively centralized position within the U.S., it is surrounded by markets which are equally underdeveloped, such as Wisconsin, Wyoming, and Montana, which is why customers are not attracted by the idea of co-locating in the region.

Advantages

However, the state does benefit from a series of noteworthy advantages when it comes to colocation. These advantages are centered around the mild climate, with cold winters and cool summers, as well as the low occurrence for natural disasters, which is below the national average. Other advantages also revolve around electricity costs. According to 451 Research, datacenter operators can save up to as much as 50% per year on electricity bills in South Dakota relative to other top markets, such as New York or Northern Virginia.