In October 2014, Woodstock Communications joined forces with five other southern Minnesota telephone companies, an Iowa provider as well as SDN Communications based out of Sioux Falls, SD. The goal behind the partnership is to create better and more affordable network connectivity and Internet services for regional businesses.
The new network will stretch from the U.S. 212 corridor to northern Iowa. The territory will include suburbs of the Twin Cities and other major markets like Rochester and Mankato.
This partnership makes us part of something bigger. It will pay dividends in network solutions and efficiencies for business customers. By working together, all the partner companies are able to extend our reach by working together and utilizing existing resources. By doing so, we can have something we might not otherwise have.
The regional providers invited SDN to interconnect and manage the partnership because SDN has great experience doing the same for its owners - the independent telephone companies of South Dakota. SDN's network serves off of South Dakota for business-to-business broadband services with 30,000 miles of fiber optics. That network reaches into seven surrounding states, including metropolitan areas like Minneapolis, Omaha, Chicago, Fargo, Denver and Cheyenne.
Fiber construction has begun to connect our Minnesota companies and is projected to be finished by the end of this year.
In addition to Woodstock Communications, the partnering companies include: