Businesses run on a technology infrastructure that provides nonstop, reliable connectivity across public and private sectors. In 2025, 11.8 million additional U.S. homes were given access to broadband fiber, marking the largest single year of fiber expansion on record, Andrea Borsvold writes in this month’s edition of Prairie Business. Four regional tech companies shared how they’re supporting business activities and where they’re making investments for the future.
Regional telecommunications provider Midco is investing heavily in fiber expansion with its $500 million Fiber Forward initiative, designed to improve speed, reliability and access across the Midwest.
“That means connections that stay strong even during peak usage hours, when homes and businesses rely on more connected devices than ever,” said Ben Dold, president and COO of Midco.
Jason Carlson of Network Center, Inc., writes about the importance of organizations having an IT strategy, which is a “living blueprint connecting technology to organizational goals,” keeping teams secure and future-focused.
“It helps transition from where you are today to where you want to be, enabling decisions to support — not hinder — growth,” he writes.
Artificial intelligence is quickly evolving as a tool to enhance productivity, and most, if not all, employment sectors are using it to some degree. Higher education is using AI, whether to train students to program AI systems or to quickly sort through data. Two institutions, the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks and Dakota State University in Madison, South Dakota, share how AI is impacting their students and faculty and their different approaches to the technology.
Turning to the real estate market, we spoke to Realtors and mortgage brokers in North Dakota and South Dakota about the trends they’re seeing, including tight inventories. With consumer credit card debt at an all-time high in the U.S., and home prices increasing, first-time homebuyers are challenged to find attainable housing.
The Upper Midwest labor market continues to diverge from the national trend, maintaining a rate of approximately 2.7%. The annual Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce’s Midwest Economic Outlook was held in February, and shared this data along with updates from leaders in health care, manufacturing, hospitality and global trade.
In our college student feature, Generation Next, South Dakota State University student and Nebraska native Dawson Gulizia talks about his major — agriculture and biosystems engineering — and where he’s headed after graduation.
In Bismarck, on the Capitol grounds, a big construction project is just finishing up. The new North Dakota State Lab is a 104,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility that will house the departments of Health and Human Services and Environmental Quality.
“This new state lab reflects our commitment to both the people we serve and the professionals who serve them,” said Health and Human Services Commissioner Pat Traynor.
Finally, our annual Leaders & Legacies nomination window is now open. We’re looking for submissions for leaders and founders of organizations in our region who are leading the way in their industries or who have created successful, growing businesses supporting the sectors driving the Midwest economy. Nominations can be submitted on the
; just look for the link.
Until next month,
Carrie McDermott
I look forward to hearing from you at
cmcdermott@prairiebusinessmagazine.com
or at 701-780-1108.
Carrie McDermott joined Prairie Business magazine in March 2023. She covers business industry trends in North Dakota, South Dakota and west central Minnesota. Email address: cmcdermott@prairiebusinessmagazine.com.