U.S. Representative Stephanie Herseth was at James Valley Telecommunications (JVT) in Groton on Tuesday, April 18 for a short presentation given by James Groft, general manager of JVT, and Greg Dean, director of industry relations for the South Dakota Telecommunications Association. Others at the meeting included Jerry Heiberger, general manager of Interstate Telecommunications Cooperative in Clear Lake, Alden Brown and Mason Brown, owners of Western Telephone Company in Faulkton, and five JVT directors - Roger Zastrow (District 1), Wendell Rye (District 2), Merle Hanson (District 3), Mark Wattier (District 6), and Bill Troske (District 7).  

A discussion was held regarding the universal service fund and the impact any changes to the fund would have on companies like JVT. The universal service fund was established in 1934 by the federal government to assist with the costs of providing affordable services to low-income individuals and to residents in rural, high-cost areas.  With the move towards more broadband and IP-based services, it is crucial that law makers understand the need for a support mechanism for companies like JVT to provide and maintain the infrastructure that these services utilize.  Dean estimated that a rural customer in South Dakota currently paying $16 for monthly phone service would pay $159 per month for the same service without support from the universal service fund.  

SDTA member companies like JVT provide telecommunications services to 79.5% of South Dakota and have invested nearly $300 million in capital infrastructure in the state. JVT is the parent company of Northern Valley Communications of Aberdeen, a telecommunications firm providing local and long distance phone service, digital cable television, high-speed Internet, business phone systems, and web hosting and design services.