SIOUX FALLS, SD – A telecommunications cooperative based in Woonsocket is trying to renegotiate the terms of a $20 million loan from the federal government. Santel Communications got the money under a program that provides grants and loans for broadband services in unserved or underserved parts of the country. Santel General Manager Ryan Thompson said officials have been trying to renegotiate the loan for almost a year and the cooperative is making payments. Thompson said Santel’s revenue has been hurt by ongoing litigation with larger telephone companies over disputes about how much those larger companies should pay to access its network. The USDA wouldn’t discuss specifics of the loan with the newspaper.
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