News and Events

Doubles Access Speed for Business and Residential Customers

June 18, 2014 - Sioux Falls, SD:  Midcontinent Communications announced today that Internet download speeds for all of its cable modem services have doubled, with its most advanced service providing download speeds up to 200 Mbps coupled with upload speeds up to 20 Mbps. These speed upgrades are system-wide, are available without an increase in price and benefit all but a very few remote markets in Midcontinent’s service areas within South Dakota, North Dakota and Minnesota.

“Faster is always better. We designed our network from the beginning to be robust and expandable to match customer demand. Recent extensive testing proved that a doubling of our speeds was achievable and even helped handle traffic more efficiently.   With this change we feel we’ve anticipated and jumped ahead of demand,” commented Jon Pederson, Vice President of Technology at Midcontinent.

Even prior to the speed increases, Midcontinent was cited by PC Mag as the fastest ISP in the region and second fastest nationally, for the past two years. Along with the 200 Mbps service option, Midcontinent also offers service levels of up to 100 Mbps/10 Mbps and up to 60 Mbps/6 Mbps.

According to Pederson, the demand for broadband speed and capacity has increased significantly in recent years, doubling about every 15 months with no end in sight.   “Our customers are connecting more devices to their home and business networks, and accessing richer content such as Internet-streamed movies.”

As Midcontinent customers discover new and expanded uses for their internet connectivity, Midcontinent remains dedicated to staying ahead of the demand.  Doubling speeds without increasing the price is an example of the effort to meet if not exceed customer expectations.

Background Information

YouTube and Netflix Give Midcontinent High Marks for its Internet Speed

According to the recently published Netflix Speed Index, Midcontinent ranks third in Netflix streaming performance in the United States (scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the “Include smaller ISPs” link to view Midcontinent’s ranking).

YouTube has also released its “Video Quality Report”.   The tool measures how well an ISP delivers streaming videos.   Midcontinent Communications is listed as “HD Verified”, which means users should expect smooth playback, even when watching videos in high definition.

“With speeds such as these we may be exceeding the capacity of some home networks.  Wireless connections and older equipment in particular may be designed for slower connectivity.   Hardwired connections with the newest, gigabit-capable hardware will help to insure the fastest speeds,” said Pederson.