BEAD Program Impact Assessment for South Dakota

This document is a technical report detailing the BEAD Program's impact assessment specific to South Dakota. It outlines the number of unserved and underserved locations eligible for BEAD funding, highlighting that approximately 35,000 locations lack high-speed broadband access, which is significantly higher than the state/territory average of 9%. The report estimates that $207 million in BEAD funding has been allocated to South Dakota, with a total capital of $268 million available to serve these locations. It provides a breakdown of deployment scenarios for broadband services, including fiber and fixed wireless technologies, and discusses the estimated provider match of $61 million. The report also analyzes the average costs associated with deploying fiber broadband and the implications of different funding strategies on the coverage of eligible locations. Additionally, it emphasizes the need for South Dakota to decide on the extent of fiber deployment while considering the trade-offs between fiber coverage and funding for other eligible programs.