Midco’s ‘Beyond Gig’ brings fastest speeds yet as part of broader company growth

This paid piece is sponsored by Midco.

It’s not just about how fast the internet service is about to get.

But “it certainly starts with speed,” Midco chief operating officer Ben Dold said.

“When we say ‘Beyond Gig,’ it is going beyond gigabit speeds, which is a game-changer for our customers and the communities we serve, but it’s also about everything we’re doing to set them and our organization up for success.”

Midco officially launched its Beyond Gig initiative earlier this month and celebrated it at a ribbon-cutting for the company’s downtown office in the Lumber Exchange Building.

“The move has gone really well,” Dold said. “We’re settled in, and there’s a great energy when the team is here. We’re seeing the collaboration we wanted to draw in, plus it’s allowed us to better network with our business colleagues downtown, and we’ve enjoyed being able to take advantage of that.”

When it comes to sharing Midco’s story, there’s a lot to tell. With Beyond Gig, customers will begin to realize the product application of Midco’s Fiber Forward initiative, an investment to build a future of ultrasmooth, ultrafast, ultrareliable internet.

“We’ve been busy with construction and field operations upgrading the network across the footprint with all new fiber and electronics to allow new connections to home and business,” Dold said.

“That’s what allows us to offer these high, best-in-class industry speeds.”

As of May 1, those speeds are available to all customers in upgraded areas, which includes much of Sioux Falls. In the next couple of years, most homes and businesses will be able to take advantage of Beyond Gig service.

“The biggest thing is, this sets them up for the now and the next,” Dold said. “We’re going to be ready for whatever the next must-have app or connected device is with a connection that has little delay and goes beyond the bounds of new technology to future-proof our network.”

Before Beyond Gig, the fastest speeds available in Midco’s hybrid fiber coax markets were 1 GB download and 250 Mbps upload speeds. Now, that has gone to 2 GB download speeds and 400 Mbps or 350 Mbps for businesses and residences, respectively.

“So it’s a doubling of download speed and a near doubling of upload speed,” Dold said. “Plus, our Midco Wi-Fi solution that launched in late 2022 and scaled last year brings truly best-in-class wireless coverage, speed and reliability. There’s just a lot of really exciting things happening on the network; the Wi-Fi side also will continue to improve the lives and experiences of our customers.”

Customers can reach out to Midco online anytime to discuss connecting to Beyond Gig service – or they’ll be notified if/when their upload speeds are automatically increasing.

But beyond the cutting-edge service, Beyond Gig is a mentality that permeates throughout Midco.

“Going ‘beyond’ means award-winning service and local customer support,” Dold said. “While the technology evolves, we’re continuing to evolve our internal resources for our customer service team and bring in new tools for troubleshooting and engaging with customers.”

Every team member has received a Beyond Gig bracelet signifying “we’re all in this together,” Dold said. “Yes, it’s going Beyond Gig, but it’s also saying we provide so much more than speed and capacity, and yet we’re just as focused on all elements of the experience.”

It’s also about being a force for good in the communities that Midco serves.

Midco plans to build on its record of community involvement, illustrated by the opening of the Midco Arena at Augustana University earlier this year and continuing this summer by sponsoring Levitt at the Falls and other community initiatives.

“We’re very excited about these sponsorships,” Dold said. “Beyond Gig really is a connecting initiative to the broader organization, and we will use it in community events, which will be a lot of fun.”

Midco has grown to 750 team members in Sioux Falls — 1,900 footprint-wide — and continually offers new opportunities. To learn more, click here.