Yesterday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the selection of 22 broadband infrastructure projects to give rural residents in 18 states or territories access to improved economic and educational opportunities. One Minnesota project received funding:

Halstad Telephone Company (HTC): The HTC Minnesota Exchanges Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP) Project; $3,277,500 loan and $3,277,500 grant. The funding will provide FTTP broadband in five towns and surrounding rural/farm areas in Norman and Polk Counties in Minnesota, using 320 miles of fiber optic cable and providing those locations with broadband capability up to 100 Megabits. (less than five percent of this network will serve an area in North Dakota)

It looks as if Halstad had at least four applications in the hopper. You can find the summary of this project from their applicaiton online. A project Halstad proposed in North Dakota was also successful.

Congrats to Halstad!