The South Dakota Telecommunications Association (SDTA) is comprised of 25 community-based cooperative, privately owned, municipal and tribal telecommunications companies. Collectively, these companies serve approximately 80 percent of the state’s land mass, and roughly two-thirds of the state’s incorporated communities.

SDTA was established in August 1983 to negotiate toll settlements with the Bell System, to represent the independent telephone companies of South Dakota before the Public Utilities Commission and to assist its member companies with issues related to the divestiture of AT&T in South Dakota.

Today SDTA provides regulatory and legal assistance to its member companies and representation before the Federal Communications Commission, the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission and various other governmental agencies.  In addition, SDTA spearheads a cooperative statewide industry imaging campaign.

SDTA is governed by an elected Board of Directors. The Board’s composition is representative of the percentage of cooperative, privately-owned, municipal and tribal member companies.