The entire project is funded by the state. This allows the schools to focus their local funds on other technology areas. A dependable, reliable infrastructure is crucial if schools and government want to incorporate technology into day-day curriculum and operations. The technologies used in the DDN are of high quality and very dependable. Student's using the world's largest library to research and gather information, teachers exchanging ideas with peers, administrators learning School districts unable to attract a math teacher are now able to leverage the best math teacher in the state.
Schools are the life-blood of rural communities.
The DDN pumps adrenaline into that life. In the background of this project is the significance achieved by the cooperation between the telecommunications companies involved. US West and the over 30 independent telephone companies represented by the South Dakota Network serve the state's 176 school districts, five universities, four technical schools and several dozen private schools. To the best of our knowledge, this type of cooperation hasn't been replicated in any other state. The results of these negotiations is that the state achieved flat-rate, distance insensitive contract pricing for ATM and frame relay services.