South Dakota is often known as “the land of infinite variety.” From the rugged natural beauty of the Badlands to the sprawling prairies and glacial lakes that dominate the eastern part of the state, there’s much to explore in the Mount Rushmore State.

One of the most sparsely populated states in the U.S., South Dakota is home to over 900,000 people. So much open territory can make home internet options a little harder to come by. Still, residents in South Dakota’s cities and rural towns have a handful of strong options to choose from.

Read on to learn about the top choices for internet service providers in South Dakota.

Best internet providers in South Dakota

South Dakota is home to a number of well-known internet providers, with options for fiber, cable, fixed wireless and satellite internet among the most popular. Depending on where you live, you may have access to multi-gigabit fiber internet , 5G fixed wireless or gigabit cable service . The most widely available high-speed South Dakota internet providers include Quantum Fiber/CenturyLink, T-Mobile and Midco.

Explore the following table to find out more about the top internet providers in South Dakota, including pricing, speed and availability.

Internet technology in South Dakota

When choosing a home Wi-Fi plan in South Dakota, it’s important to understand your different connection options. Each type of internet technology has its pros and cons.

Satellite internet is available throughout South Dakota, but its connection speeds are much slower than other options. Fiber and cable connections are available to a little over half of the state, and both offer gigabit connectivity. However, fiber internet provides much faster upload speeds if you need lag-free Wi-Fi for online gaming. Fixed wireless is also an increasingly popular choice, though it’s only available to about a fourth of South Dakota residents.

Top South Dakota cities

As in any other state, the options for home internet vary from city to city in South Dakota. For instance, Midco is a popular internet provider in Sioux Falls , but its fiber and cable plans aren’t widely available outside major cities in the state. Be sure to shop for home internet based on your address rather than just a general search of provider availability in your area.

Cheap internet options in South Dakota

South Dakota internet providers offer several cheap home Wi-Fi plans to help consumers keep costs down. For instance, Midco and Medicom offer starting prices under $30/mo., and you can get slightly faster speeds for an affordable price by bundling internet with other services through providers like T-Mobile and Verizon. Whichever provider you choose, you can keep the cost of home internet at or below the national average of $40 to $60/mo .

Fast internet options in South Dakota

If you’re willing to spend more, South Dakota internet can be fast enough to cover even the most demanding Wi-Fi users. Providers like Bluepeak and Midco offer symmetrical upload and download speeds of up to 5 GB in some areas. Even if you don’t have access to the f astest internet plans , several South Dakota providers offer gigabit download speeds — more than enough for most online gaming , 4K streaming or videoconferencing.

Not sure just how fast you need your home Wi-Fi connection to go? Check out our internet speed guide to calculate your speed needs.

Rural internet options in South Dakota

Wide swaths of South Dakota are sparsely populated, leaving many rural customers outside the range of the fastest internet options. However, satellite internet signals reach the entire state, offering download speeds of up to 220 Mbps in some rural areas . You’ll need to install a satellite dish on your property to begin service with providers like Hughesnet, Viasat and Starlink.

South Dakota internet FAQs

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Hannah Whatley is an editor who enjoys collaborating with writers to offer readers the most relevant, accurate, and up-to-date information for their home purchases. She has previously edited for The Motley Fool, The Modest Wallet, Grammarly, JoinCake.com and SaveOnEnergy.com, gaining expertise in several industries. Hannah has a B.A. in English from Thomas Edison State University. When she isn’t editing, she enjoys studying linguistics and languages.