The FCC reports on the status of broadband access…
Access to affordable, reliable broadband is essential to full participation in modern life. Consumers rely on both their fixed and mobile connections to work, learn, access health care, and connect with each other. Today, we issue this Report pursuant to our obligation under section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, concluding our inquiry into whether “advanced telecommunications capability is being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and timely fashion.”1 We find that more work remains to ensure that all Americans have access to advanced telecommunications capability.
They are using a new resource…
This Report also represents an important milestone with regard to the data that we use for our inquiry. For the first time, we use data from the Commission’s Broadband Data Collection (BDC). The Commission’s Section 706 Reports have for many years relied primarily on the FCC Form 477 deployment data to evaluate consumers’ broadband options for fixed and mobile services.3 The BDC data, unavailable for past section 706 inquiries, represent significant improvements over FCC Form 477 data, through the use of more precise location-by-location fixed data, mobile data based on standardized parameters, and the Commission’s ability to improve the data through public challenge processes and conducting verifications and audits of provider-reported data.
Based on our evaluation of the data, we find that our universal service goals for section 706 have not been met, and we therefore conclude that advanced telecommunications capability is not being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and timely fashion. Most significantly, at present, 100/20 Mbps terrestrial fixed broadband service4 has not been physically deployed to approximately 7% of Americans. Rural areas and Tribal lands significantly trail more urban areas, with approximately 28% of people living in rural areas and approximately 23% of people living on Tribal lands lacking access to 100/20 Mbps fixed broadband services.5 While we expect the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program and other federal and state programs will narrow these divides in the coming years, at this time, we find that these physical deployment shortcomings are sufficient to warrant a negative finding under section 706 before we even begin to consider our other universal service goals, for which we hope to have more comprehensive data available in future inquiries.
At a high level here’s how Minnesota stands:
| 25/3 Mbps | 100/20 Mbps | 940/500 Mbps | |
| Including Fixed Wireless | 76.5% | 32.1% | 8.3% |
| Excluding Fixed Wireless | 76.1% | 32.3% | 8.3% |
Here are the stats by county
| Pop Evaluated | % with fixed 100/20 | % with mobile 5G-NR 35/3 | % with fixed & mobile | Pop density | Per capita income | |
| Minnesota | 5,717,184 | 94.3% | 88.8% | 85.4% | 71.8 | $44,947 |
| Aitkin County | 16,126 | 69.5% | 48.5% | 38.5% | 8.9 | $32,980 |
| Anoka County | 368,864 | 97.5% | 97.0% | 94.8% | 874.2 | $43,106 |
| Becker County | 35,371 | 81.0% | 49.9% | 44.2% | 26.9 | $38,444 |
| Beltrami County | 46,799 | 99.2% | 54.5% | 54.4% | 18.7 | $32,055 |
| Benton County | 41,463 | 88.4% | 94.1% | 83.1% | 101.6 | $35,885 |
| Big Stone County | 5,144 | 98.9% | 24.3% | 24.0% | 10.3 | $35,797 |
| Blue Earth County | 69,631 | 97.0% | 82.9% | 80.4% | 93.1 | $35,182 |
| Brown County | 25,723 | 94.5% | 72.6% | 70.9% | 42.1 | $35,340 |
| Carlton County | 36,708 | 60.6% | 58.8% | 41.7% | 42.6 | $35,642 |
| Carver County | 110,034 | 98.9% | 99.0% | 98.0% | 310.8 | $55,216 |
| Cass County | 31,274 | 63.7% | 55.3% | 39.9% | 15.5 | $34,505 |
| Chippewa County | 12,284 | 99.1% | 66.4% | 65.9% | 21.1 | $32,772 |
| Chisago County | 57,988 | 76.2% | 92.4% | 72.4% | 139.8 | $41,814 |
| Clay County | 65,929 | 99.3% | 90.1% | 89.9% | 63.1 | $36,586 |
| Clearwater County | 8,649 | 99.2% | 53.3% | 53.0% | 8.7 | $31,879 |
| Cook County | 5,708 | 95.2% | 54.0% | 53.3% | 3.9 | $44,316 |
| Cottonwood County | 11,356 | 88.7% | 76.6% | 71.1% | 17.7 | $32,818 |
| Crow Wing County | 67,948 | 88.2% | 71.0% | 65.6% | 68.1 | $36,878 |
| Dakota County | 443,341 | 99.2% | 99.3% | 98.6% | 788.1 | $48,894 |
| Dodge County | 20,981 | 99.9% | 72.1% | 72.1% | 47.8 | $42,838 |
| Douglas County | 39,668 | 84.6% | 56.2% | 51.2% | 62.3 | $41,889 |
| Faribault County | 13,926 | 86.2% | 49.2% | 43.2% | 19.5 | $35,307 |
| Fillmore County | 21,414 | 86.0% | 63.4% | 58.6% | 24.9 | $35,645 |
| Freeborn County | 30,718 | 99.4% | 70.6% | 70.2% | 43.4 | $36,751 |
| Goodhue County | 48,013 | 94.0% | 73.5% | 71.7% | 63.5 | $40,087 |
| Grant County | 6,136 | 82.2% | 39.1% | 36.7% | 11.2 | $36,750 |
| Hennepin County | 1,260,121 | 99.3% | 99.8% | 99.1% | 2,274.4 | $55,199 |
| Houston County | 18,800 | 84.5% | 49.1% | 46.9% | 34.1 | $39,340 |
| Hubbard County | 21,960 | 92.3% | 56.2% | 52.7% | 23.7 | $36,944 |
| Isanti County | 42,727 | 59.7% | 83.9% | 56.8% | 98.1 | $38,609 |
| Itasca County | 45,205 | 92.8% | 62.3% | 59.4% | 16.9 | $34,528 |
| Jackson County | 9,893 | 95.5% | 56.6% | 54.1% | 14.1 | $37,818 |
| Kanabec County | 16,463 | 27.4% | 59.8% | 25.1% | 31.6 | $33,805 |
| Kandiyohi County | 43,839 | 95.7% | 85.8% | 82.5% | 55.0 | $35,814 |
| Kittson County | 4,059 | 95.2% | 34.0% | 33.9% | 3.7 | $35,565 |
| Koochiching County | 11,844 | 83.1% | 52.0% | 49.2% | 3.8 | $36,515 |
| Lac qui Parle County | 6,689 | 100.0% | 43.7% | 43.7% | 8.7 | $37,520 |
| Lake County | 10,939 | 90.6% | 75.2% | 71.5% | 5.2 | $39,930 |
| Lake of the Woods County | 3,871 | 80.9% | 57.6% | 53.3% | 3.0 | $35,308 |
| Le Sueur County | 29,153 | 98.5% | 78.0% | 77.3% | 65.0 | $41,400 |
| Lincoln County | 5,580 | 99.1% | 41.6% | 41.1% | 10.4 | $35,638 |
| Lyon County | 25,262 | 99.9% | 78.0% | 77.9% | 35.4 | $35,256 |
| Mahnomen County | 5,328 | 71.3% | 38.0% | 32.8% | 9.6 | $24,710 |
| Marshall County | 8,861 | 94.6% | 45.3% | 44.7% | 5.0 | $35,920 |
| Martin County | 19,650 | 98.6% | 62.1% | 61.9% | 27.6 | $35,152 |
| McLeod County | 36,714 | 97.5% | 97.2% | 95.0% | 74.7 | $39,361 |
| Meeker County | 23,496 | 92.9% | 80.5% | 75.5% | 38.6 | $37,233 |
| Mille Lacs County | 27,280 | 81.7% | 76.8% | 65.9% | 47.7 | $33,933 |
| Morrison County | 34,246 | 82.0% | 63.8% | 54.0% | 30.4 | $34,269 |
| Mower County | 40,140 | 98.7% | 75.6% | 75.4% | 56.4 | $33,921 |
| Murray County | 8,060 | 98.8% | 61.3% | 60.8% | 11.4 | $38,783 |
| Nicollet County | 34,441 | 93.0% | 83.4% | 79.2% | 76.8 | $41,658 |
| Nobles County | 21,947 | 96.0% | 79.7% | 77.3% | 30.7 | $29,786 |
| Norman County | 6,377 | 87.7% | 50.2% | 46.9% | 7.3 | $36,245 |
| Olmsted County | 164,020 | 99.1% | 97.5% | 96.9% | 251.0 | $49,799 |
| Otter Tail County | 60,519 | 75.9% | 49.4% | 41.8% | 30.7 | $37,202 |
| Pennington County | 13,845 | 98.7% | 75.0% | 74.4% | 22.5 | $37,342 |
| Pine County | 29,446 | 48.8% | 57.7% | 37.6% | 20.9 | $32,335 |
| Pipestone County | 9,355 | 99.0% | 59.8% | 59.5% | 20.1 | $34,973 |
| Polk County | 30,731 | 99.0% | 66.9% | 66.7% | 15.6 | $34,273 |
| Pope County | 11,431 | 91.6% | 35.0% | 32.7% | 17.1 | $38,905 |
| Ramsey County | 536,413 | 99.6% | 99.9% | 99.5% | 3,523.3 | $43,203 |
| Red Lake County | 3,874 | 94.7% | 62.2% | 61.7% | 9.0 | $35,198 |
| Redwood County | 15,361 | 80.5% | 54.7% | 49.8% | 17.5 | $33,175 |
| Renville County | 14,525 | 97.9% | 61.4% | 60.7% | 14.8 | $34,554 |
| Rice County | 67,693 | 96.4% | 93.5% | 90.5% | 136.5 | $37,050 |
| Rock County | 9,537 | 97.7% | 22.9% | 21.9% | 19.8 | $38,472 |
| Roseau County | 15,292 | 94.8% | 61.3% | 58.8% | 9.1 | $36,125 |
| Scott County | 154,520 | 98.9% | 99.2% | 98.2% | 433.7 | $51,259 |
| Sherburne County | 100,824 | 89.1% | 95.7% | 85.9% | 232.9 | $41,412 |
| Sibley County | 14,955 | 94.6% | 73.1% | 71.3% | 25.4 | $37,919 |
| St. Louis County | 199,532 | 79.2% | 86.3% | 74.0% | 31.9 | $37,850 |
| Stearns County | 160,405 | 92.5% | 95.3% | 88.7% | 119.5 | $36,087 |
| Steele County | 37,398 | 100.0% | 68.8% | 68.8% | 87.0 | $40,146 |
| Stevens County | 9,637 | 98.2% | 24.3% | 24.2% | 17.1 | $38,425 |
| Swift County | 9,755 | 99.2% | 27.4% | 27.2% | 13.1 | $35,595 |
| Todd County | 25,538 | 63.9% | 52.8% | 39.9% | 27.0 | $30,812 |
| Traverse County | 3,275 | 82.3% | 45.5% | 43.3% | 5.7 | $36,023 |
| Wabasha County | 21,658 | 93.7% | 57.9% | 57.3% | 41.4 | $40,471 |
| Wadena County | 14,307 | 99.3% | 36.9% | 36.8% | 26.7 | $28,011 |
| Waseca County | 18,893 | 100.0% | 77.5% | 77.5% | 44.6 | $35,814 |
| Washington County | 275,912 | 94.8% | 97.7% | 93.2% | 717.2 | $54,418 |
| Watonwan County | 11,075 | 100.0% | 76.0% | 76.0% | 25.5 | $34,363 |
| Wilkin County | 6,350 | 84.5% | 63.6% | 58.8% | 8.5 | $38,317 |
| Winona County | 49,478 | 97.1% | 51.7% | 51.1% | 79.0 | $34,889 |
| Wright County | 148,003 | 86.9% | 98.8% | 86.5% | 223.9 | $43,067 |
| Yellow Medicine County | 9,486 | 99.5% | 56.3% | 56.0% | 12.5 | $36,737 |
| Tribal Areas | 39,095 | 78.7% | 41.3% | 31.7% |
And a deep dive into state stats…
| Minnesota | Rural Areas | Urban Areas | |
| Pop. Evaluated | 5.717 | 1.633 | 4.084 |
| Fixed 100/20 Mbps Including Fixed Wireless Pop. | 5.389 | 1.334 | 4.054 |
| Fixed 100/20 Mbps Including Fixed Wireless % | 94.3% | 81.7% | 99.3% |
| Fixed 100/20 Mbps Excluding Fixed Wireless Pop. | 5.171 | 1.125 | 4.046 |
| Fixed 100/20 Mbps Excluding Fixed Wireless % | 90.4% | 68.9% | 99.1% |
| Mobile 5G-NR Minimum 35/3 Mbps Pop. | 5.080 | 1.075 | 4.005 |
| Mobile 5G-NR Minimum 35/3 Mbps % | 88.8% | 65.8% | 98.1% |
| Pop. Evaluated | 4.777 | 0.996 | 3.780 |
| Mobile 5G[1]NR Median 35/3 Mbps Pop. | 4.496 | 0.748 | 3.748 |
| Mobile 5G[1]NR Median 35/3 Mbps % | 94.1% | 75.0% | 99.1% |
| Fixed 100/20 Mbps and Mobile 5G-NR Minimum 35/3 Mbps Pop. | 4.883 | 0.907 | 3.976 |
| Fixed 100/20 Mbps and Mobile 5G-NR Minimum 35/3 Mbps % | 85.4% | 55.6% | 97.4% |
| Fixed 100/20 Mbps and Mobile 5G-NR Median 35/3 Mbps Pop. | 4.325 | 0.605 | 3.720 |
| Fixed 100/20 Mbps and Mobile 5G-NR Median 35/3 Mbps % | 90.5% | 60.7% | 98.4% |
| Fixed 100/20 Mbps and Mobile 5G-NR Minimum 35/3 Mbps Pop | 4.753 | 0.785 | 3.968 |
| Fixed 100/20 Mbps and Mobile 5G-NR Minimum 35/3 Mbps % | 83.1% | 48.1% | 97.2% |
| Fixed 100/20 Mbps and Mobile 5G-NR Median 35/3 Mbps Pop | 4.777 | 0.527 | 3.713 |
| Fixed 100/20 Mbps and Mobile 5G-NR Median 35/3 Mbps % | 4.240 | 52.8% | 98.2% |
Blandin on Broadband 