Connect Minnesota just released their latest report on availability. It looks as if there’s been improvement in availability of speeds – but results show that 61.57 percent of Minnesota households can access broadband at speeds of at least 10 Mbps download/6 Mbps upload – the goal is to have 100 percent coverage by 2015.

Here’s their press release…

New research unveiled today by Connect Minnesota shows that the broadband availability gap in Minnesota is diminishing, with 86.81% of Minnesota residents now having access to fixed broadband speeds of 6 Mbps download/1.5 Mbps upload, compared to 85.09% last April. In addition, 61.57% of Minnesota households can access broadband at speeds of at least 10 Mbps download/6 Mbps upload – the minimum speed threshold for Minnesota’s goal of ubiquitous broadband availability. The new results are being released during the 2012 Broadband Conference in Duluth.

“These latest data illustrate that progress is being made toward ensuring Minnesotans have access to broadband at the state statutory speed goal tier,” said Bill Hoffman, state program manager for Connect Minnesota. “Minnesota has set a nation-leading goal and our providers, stakeholders, and policy makers are working to ensure our success in achieving that goal.”

Nonprofit Connect Minnesota has been working since 2009 to ensure that Minnesota residents have access to the economic, educational, and quality of life benefits derived from increased broadband access, adoption, and use. Part of that work includes mapping Minnesota’s broadband availability and providing analysis to the Broadband Taskforce, broadband providers, policymakers, and community planners.

Among the findings of the new broadband availability research are:

• 86.81% of Minnesota households can access fixed broadband at advertised speeds of 6 Mbps download/1.5 Mbpsupload, meaning that 275,000 households are in areas that may be eligible for Connect America Fund broadband deployment subsidies (excludes mobile and satellite services.
• 61.57% of Minnesota households can access fixed broadband at speeds of at least 10 Mbps download/6 Mbps upload – the minimum speed threshold for Minnesota’s goal of ubiquitous broadband availability* (mobile and satellite services do not meet the speed criteria)
• 81.97% of Minnesota households can access broadband at speeds of at least 10 Mbps download/3 Mbps upload, indicating that upload speeds are significantly reducing the availability percentage toward the minimum speed threshold for Minnesota’s goal of ubiquitous broadband availability* (excludes mobile and satellite services)
• 95.34% of rural households in Minnesota have access to broadband at 768 Kbps download/200 Kbps upload (excludes mobile and satellite services)
• Broadband at the basic 768 Kbps download/200 Kbps upload tier is available to 97.99% of Minnesota households, up from 97.77% last May (excludes mobile and satellite services)
• 89.31% of Minnesota households have the ability to choose broadband service from two or more broadband providers (excludes mobile and satellite services)

Note: The data in this report are subject to data validation.

*Minnesota Statute 237.012 indicates upload goal of 5 Mbps. Data collection only conforms with speed tiers as represented in the SBI NOFA where 6 Mbps is the most comparable upload speed tier. Thismeans that across the state, approximately 802,000 households are not connected to services that meet the state’s target.

“Minnesota must make progress to achieve border-to-border broadband to make our economy better, to help businesses, and to expand on-line education and health care access,” said Commerce Commissioner Mike Rothman. “We are pleased with these new numbers showing progress, but we look forward to the recommendations from Governor Dayton’s Broadband Task Force on how we can do even better to achieve the state’s goals so that Minnesota has strong economic competitiveness in this digital age.”

Connect Minnesota’s research was conducted as part of the State Broadband Initiative (SBI) grant program, funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The data were gathered in accordance with the requirements of the Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) and subsequent clarifications set forth by NTIA. The process begins by contacting all known providers in the state and providing information about the broadband mapping project. Information on broadband service areas is collected from each willing provider through voluntary participation. A nondisclosure agreement (NDA) is offered to all providers prior to the submission of data; the data protected through the NDA is limited to highly sensitive network infrastructure information, including middle-mile locations. Connected Nation strives to maintain a flexible mapping process in order to be able to collect data from providers in a variety of formats based on providers’ technical capabilities and resources.