Internet providers in South Dakota

South Dakota internet providers

Aside from satellite providers such as Viasat, Hughesnet and Starlink, Midco is the most widely available internet provider in South Dakota.

As in other western states with a relatively small population, internet service can be hit-or-miss. If you live in a city, such as Sioux Falls, you may have more than one choice of provider; both Midco and CenturyLink supply 1 Gbps connections. But residents of South Dakota outside of cities are more likely to find that satellite internet may be their best (or only) option.

Codington County, home of Watertown, has a high fiber availability, as does Minnehaha County, home of Sioux Falls.

The South Dakota government reports on its internet expansion plan, “The ConnectSD program has leveraged $85 million of state general funds along with $89 million of federal funds and $127 million of private investment from the broadband providers. These investments total over $301 million in broadband expansion in the state since Governor Noem took office in 2019. ConnectSD has awarded 106 grant awards or projects and has connected or is in the process of connecting almost 32,000 locations that either did not have internet or were underserved before starting this program.”

Internet availability in South Dakota

100% of South Dakota homes can get some type of internet.

Nearly 89% “of the state had a broadband subscription, based on Census numbers: released in December 2024,” reports the Dakota Scout. Below is the percentage of residents in South Dakota that have access to certain internet types:

Quality of internet access in South Dakota

All of South Dakota has access to the minimum recommended broadband download speed of 100 Mbps, with over half able to access gigabit speeds. Satellite is the most available internet type.

Fiber availability has grown over the last few years from 40% to 60%, thanks to investments by providers. 

• Residents with broadband access (speeds at or over 100/20 Mbps): 100%
• Residents with access to gigabit speeds (speeds at or over 1,000/100 Mbps): 63%
• Average download speed in South Dakota: 239.67 Mbps

Sources: FCC coverage maps and data, internal speed test results and provider websites.

How we review internet in South Dakota

Using Allconnect and provider data, along with the broadband map of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), our experts look at the number of internet providers available, the speed and cost of the plans, type of internet offered and how many addresses are serviced by the provider.

Our methodology

We evaluate broadband providers in four categories: affordability, performance, value and customer satisfaction.

We evaluate broadband providers in four categories: affordability, performance, value and customer satisfaction. Each category contains multiple sub-factors, all of which are weighted differently to impact the provider’s overall score.

For each sub-factor, we score all providers on a continuous scale of one to five, relative to the industry as a whole. Because the average download speed in America is currently 180 Mbps, for example, we assigned all plans with download speeds between 100 and 299 Mbps a score between three and four. Xfinity’s 200 Mbps plan received a 3.50 score for download speed, while Spectrum’s 500 Mbps plan got a 3.71.

We only considered standardized data points in our scoring system. More abstract data like consistency of service and brand reputation is still part of our analysis, but we opted to let our writers address them in the context of each review.

See how we review internet providers

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Fastest internet in South Dakota

CenturyLink and Midco provide faster speeds starting at $75.00/mo. in South Dakota.

The average South Dakota internet speed, according to Ookla, is 239.67 Mbps. This is slightly below the national average of 274.16 Mbps.

The slowest speeds are in the most rural areas of South Dakota, which are only accessible by satellite plans up to 100 Mbps.

*Pricing per month plus taxes for length of contract. Additional fees and terms may apply. Pricing varies by location and availability. All prices subject to change at any time. May or may not be available based on service address. Speeds may vary. As of 03/18/25.
**Limited availability. Service and rate in select locations only. Paperless billing required. Taxes and fees apply. Rate excludes CTL Fee not to exceed $1.50/mo./line.

Cheapest internet in South Dakota

The cheapest internet in South Dakota starts at $35.00/mo. for 25 Mbps, enough for light daily internet use.

Internet isn’t as cheap in South Dakota as it is in some areas of the country. Prices start at $35.00/mo. with T-Mobile’s 5G home internet and a qualifying mobile plan.

*Pricing per month plus taxes for length of contract. Additional fees and terms may apply. Pricing varies by location and availability. All prices subject to change at any time. May or may not be available based on service address. Speeds may vary. As of 03/18/25.

South Dakota internet FAQs

What is the best internet provider in South Dakota?

Midco is one of the best available internet providers in South Dakota, covering over half of the state and offering cable or fiber connections.

What is the cheapest internet provider in South Dakota?

T-Mobile is the cheapest provider, with plans starting at $35.00/mo. with a mobile plan.

What is the fastest internet provider in South Dakota?

Midco is the fastest provider, with speeds up to 1,000 Mbps.