VIEWPOINT | Don’t pull the plug on rural South Dakota’s internet connection
Guest column by Joel Brick & Chad Benson, Lake County broadband providers
For more than a decade, Interlakes Wireless has done what many larger providers said couldn’t be done: deliver reliable, affordable broadband to rural South Dakotans. From family farms and lake homes to campgrounds and small businesses, our customers rely on broadband wireless connectivity to work, live, and stay connected.
As the founder and builder of Interlakes Wireless, I know that one of the most important tools in our toolbox that makes this possible is the Citizens Radio Broadband Service (CBRS). It was intentionally designed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as a low-power, shared spectrum framework — one that encourages innovation, local investment, and rural coverage. For small wireless internet service providers like us, CBRS is a critical lifeline both for the rural customers we support and our business.
