By Andrew Atwal
andrew.atwal@yankton.net

As time has gone on, more businesses in Yankton and surrounding areas have moved into the wireless network age.

One of those businesses is Ben’s Brewing, a bar in Yankton.

Ben’s first opened in 2005 and has been a thriving bar ever since.

Ben Hanten, general manager at Ben’s, said he decided to have the wireless network in the bar from the day it opened seven years ago.

“I felt as if it was a necessary service for our customers,” he said. “When I’m out of town, I’d always be looking for a wireless network to connect to.

Hanten added that the network gets used every day, but he’s seeing much less laptop use now, and more phones and tablets connecting to the network.

One of the changes he has noticed in the area is more businesses offering free wireless for their customers. Hanten said that when the bar first opened in 2005, there were only a few businesses that offered wireless, and they would have big signs promoting the offering. Now most businesses in town are offering a network for customers, he said.

Another way that the bar connects with customers is through the Frontflip smartphone application.

Frontflip is an application that allows businesses to build relationships with customers and acts as an engagement platform. The application lets customers use their phone scanner and potentially win instant prizes at the business. Owners can then reach out to customers later on by sending targeted gifts directly to their phone.

“It’s a nice way to reach customers because it allows me to see who is using it and how often they are using it,” Hanten said.

Frontflip charges Ben’s a monthly fee for the service, which launched this spring. Hanten noted that it is currently being used about 400 times a month.

Other area businesses in Yankton that offer free wireless to their customers include Burger King, Hy-Vee, Kentucky Fried Chicken / Taco Bell, The Landing Bar, Magilly’s Broadway Eatery, Marketplace Cafe, McDonalds, Pizza Ranch, Minervas, Riverside Park, the Yankton Community Library and the Visitors Center.

In addition to businesses offering customers free wireless networks, many cellular phone providers have also expanded their 4G internet connectivity options to subscribers in the area.
Verizon Wireless recently brought 4G coverage to the area, and also recently activated a new cell site in Yankton, which further expanded its coverage in the area.

The cell site which was recently activated is located near the intersection of U.S. Highway 81 and West Eighth St. The site improves coverage area for Verizon subscribers on north to west 20th street, areas south of the Missouri River, east to Burleigh street and west to Summit street.

“South Dakotans are increasingly relying on smartphones and applications to manage their busy lives and to stay connected at home or on-the-go,” said Seamus Hyland, president of the Verizon

Wireless Great Plans region, in a statement. “This new cell site is part of our continual investment in our network so our customers can use their devices when, where and how they need them.”

In addition, SDN Communications, a business-to-business broadband service provider in South Dakota and surrounding states, has continued to expand fiber optic connectivity in Yankton.

Yankton was the fourth city in South Dakota to benefit from the company’s $25 million expansion, $20 million of which was provided through the federal stimulus-funded Broadband Technology Opportunities Program.

The construction, which is projected to be done by the end of this year, will add 359 miles of new fiber optic cable to the state and benefit 75 communities. That will mean increased broadband access to more than 300 hospitals, schools and government facilities.

Earlier this fall, Verizon Wireless continued its expansion of service in southeastern South Dakota by further enhancing its 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network.

The expanded coverage area includes Freeman, Canton, Parker, Viborg and Yankton, as well as U.S. Highway 81 north of Yankton to Freeman; east of U.S. Highway 81 on U.S. Highway 18 and State Highway 44 to Interstate 29 and east on I-29 from U.S. Highway 18 to the Iowa border.

“The expansion of our 4G high-speed network will enable customers to use their 4G LTE devices in more parts of South Dakota to stay in touch with family, friends and colleagues, all with speeds up to 10 times faster than before,” Seamus Hyland, president-Great Plains Region, Verizon Wireless, said in a statement.

You can follow Andrew Atwal on Twitter at twitter.com/andrewatwal