Best Internet Services Available in
pine ridge, South Dakota
Pine Ridge, South Dakota has historically had limited broadband, but residents now have several options including tribal-led fixed wireless, regional fiber/phone cooperatives, 5G home internet, and near‑universal satellite coverage. Key competitors include NHC fiber, EarthLink 5G Home Internet, Golden West Telecommunications, T‑Mobile Home Internet, XNET WiFi and rural-focused satellite services from Viasat, HughesNet, and Starlink, with major tribal broadband projects adding new fixed wireless and fiber coverage across the Pine Ridge Reservation. Because coverage is highly address-specific, especially on reservation lands, checking availability by exact location is essential before choosing a plan.
Internet in Pine Ridge overview
HighSpeedInternet lists NHC as a primary wired provider in Pine Ridge with fiber service available to about 99% of locations, giving many households access to high‑speed, low‑latency connections where its network is active. InMyArea and BroadbandSearch also highlight EarthLink 5G Home Internet covering about 86.1% of the area, plus Golden West Telecommunications as a regional telephone/fiber cooperative, showing a mix of wired and wireless options beyond satellite.
For more remote homes, satellite providers Viasat, HughesNet, and Starlink cover essentially the entire Pine Ridge 57770 area, with Viasat available to roughly 97.9% of locations and HughesNet to 99.98%, while Starlink is being actively deployed via tribal programs. The Oglala Sioux Tribe’s broadband initiative (OLT) is building 15 fixed 2.5 GHz wireless towers and about 93–175 miles of fiber, aiming to bring high‑speed, tribally managed internet to thousands of homes and businesses on the reservation in the next few years.
Top Internet Providers in Pine Ridge, SD
| Provider | Connection Type | Typical Starting Price* | Max Advertised Download Speed (Local) | Approx. Coverage in/around Pine Ridge | Key Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NHC | Fiber | Varies; typical fiber from ~$50/mo (estimate from regional fiber pricing) | Fiber up to 1 Gbps+ in many areas (typical rural fiber tiers) | About 99% listed availability in Pine Ridge | Primary fiber provider; low latency and high reliability where lines are built. |
| EarthLink 5G Home Internet | 5G fixed wireless | Around $40–$60/mo depending on plan | Often up to 100–300 Mbps depending on signal | About 86.1% coverage in Pine Ridge | Uses partner 5G/LTE networks; performance depends on tower distance and congestion. |
| Golden West Telecommunications | Fiber / DSL / phone coop | Regional coop pricing; many plans start around $40–$60/mo | Fiber/DSL speeds commonly up to 100–1,000 Mbps (varies by tech | Available in parts of Pine Ridge and surrounding areas | Local telephone/fiber cooperative with bundled phone and internet options. |
| T‑Mobile Home Internet | 5G/LTE fixed wireless | About $40–$50/mo with autopay in many markets | Up to ~200–300+ Mbps where 5G signal is strong | Listed as one of the main providers in area; coverage where T‑Mobile 5G/LTE reaches | Plug‑and‑play modem; no annual contract; performance tied to mobile network quality. |
| XNET WiFi | Fixed wireless | Rural wireless plans often ~$50–$80/mo | Commonly up to 50–200 Mbps depending on link | Available in parts of Pine Ridge region | Rural fixed‑wireless option using local towers; useful where wired lines are not present. |
| Viasat | Satellite | Around $70+/mo for rural home plans | Up to about 150 Mbps in many rural markets | About 97.9% coverage in Pine Ridge | Works almost anywhere with sky view; higher latency and data caps than wired. |
| HughesNet | Satellite | Typically from about $50–$60/mo | Up to 100 Mbps on newer Gen5/Gen6 plans | Around 99.98% coverage in Pine Ridge | Near‑universal availability; consistent speeds for basic streaming and browsing |
| Starlink | Satellite (LEO) | Around $90–$120/mo plus equipment (tribal programs may subsidize) | Commonly 100–220+ Mbps with lower latency | Expanding across Pine Ridge via OST Starlink kit program | Tribal broadband initiative distributing hundreds of Starlink kits to unserved homes. |
| Oglala Lakota Telecommunications / OST broadband (fixed wireless & future fiber) | Fixed wireless & fiber (tribal network) | Pricing TBD; expected to be competitive and ACP‑compatible | Planned high‑speed fixed wireless and fiber comparable to urban broadband | 533 sq. mi. service area planned with 15 towers and ~93–175 miles of fiber across reservation | Tribally run network focused on reservation communities, digital inclusion, and long‑term local control. |
How Much Speed Do I Need?
0–5 Mbps
✅ Can Do:
- Basic web browsing
- Checking email
- Messaging apps
- Low-quality voice calls
- Streaming music
🚫 Struggles with:
- Video streaming
- Downloading large files
- Video conferencing
- Online gaming
- Multiple devices
5–40 Mbps
✅ Can Do:
- HD video streaming (720p–1080p)
- Video calls
- Online gaming (casual)
- Social media browsing
- Smart home device connectivity
🚫 Struggles with:
- 4K streaming
- Large downloads/uploads
- Heavy multi-user use
40–100 Mbps
✅ Can Do:
- Multiple HD video streams
- Smooth video conferencing
- Online multiplayer gaming
- Download/upload large files
- Remote work with multiple devices
🚫 Struggles with:
- 4K streaming on multiple devices
- Large-scale file transfers
100–500 Mbps
✅ Can Do:
- 4K streaming on multiple devices
- Fast downloads/uploads
- Remote work & collaboration
- Online gaming with low latency
- Running home servers or NAS
🚫 Struggles with:
- May exceed needs of casual users
- Hardware/network may limit full performance
500–1,000+ Mbps
✅ Can Do:
- Everything at maximum performance
- Instant large file downloads
- 8K streaming
- Hosting servers/cloud workloads
- Future-proof for smart homes
🚫 Struggles with:
- Overkill for basic users
- Wi-Fi setup may bottleneck speed
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