Pennington County is one of South Dakota’s most geographically and operationally complex counties. While largely rural, the county is also home to Rapid City — the state’s second largest city and home to Mount Rushmore National Memorial.
During busy summer days, as many as 160,000 people are in Pennington, requiring ongoing coordination between public safety agencies. With such rural and rugged terrain dominating the county, broadband coverage was a challenge for local first responders trying to communicate.
SOURCE: FirstNet Authority Blog
DATE: August 27, 2026
“Because of how it is congressionally mandated, FirstNet will continue to build towers where no commercial entity would ever build a tower — and that is huge for Rapid City-Pennington County Emergency Management,” said Willett.
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