Some area institutions are receiving grants through the state’s Broadband Initiative.  The Madison Public Library and the Sioux Valley Public School District in Volga are two of 15 institutions in the state receiving the technology grants.  The Madison Public Library is receiving a grant for a project that will total just more than 73-hundred dollars (which includes some matching funds from the Library), and the Sioux Valley School District is receiving a grant for a project that will total just more than 11-thousand-five-hundred dollars.  The grants will be used for a wide variety of technology improvements and expansions at these locations. 
Project funding will provide technology improvements in the areas of:
Firewalls to protect computers against malware, spyware, viruses and other threatening content; network switches to ensure uptime and stability as well as increase network speeds and performance; wireless equipment for mobile connectivity and increased performance; and new or additional laptops and desktops to provide access to broadband services.
The South Dakota Broadband Initiative Technology Planning team will assist the staff at these Community Anchor Institutions and their technology partners with the implementation of the equipment into their infrastructure.