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High speed Internet could make its way into rural areas

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) - More of South Dakota's rural areas might soon have high-speed Internet as the state's Bureau of Information and Telecommunications surveys agriculture producers statewide about how they use technology.

The state's Broadband Initiative has partnered with the United States Department of Agriculture Field Office to survey farmers and ranchers on whether they have Internet and, if they do, how they use it.

Emily Keil, the bureau's social media manager, says farmers and ranchers surveyed showed a wide range of concerns.  Some farmers say they're "too old' to incorporate the Internet into their work.

Dom Bianco, the bureau's commissioner, tells the Rapid City Journal that high-speed broadband Internet can "expand education opportunities, improve public safety, enhance health care activities and bring economic growth to the region."

Information from: Rapid City Journal,http://www.rapidcityjournal.com

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)