The West Central Tribune posts an update on progress of the CTC-Kandiyohi County broadband project. They were awarded a MN broadband grant but needed community support to take the next step. It’s not a done deal yet, but it looks good…

Customer signups for a broadband project in north central Kandiyohi County appear to have reached the goal.

It may still be a few more days, however, until Kandiyohi County officials learn whether the project is officially moving ahead.

The county is partnering with Consolidated Telecommunications Co. of Brainerd to bring high-speed internet to approximately 1,600 households, businesses and institutions in the north central part of the county.

The unofficial count looks good; they are waiting to see if people put their money where their mouths are..

A deadline of July 21 had been set for eligible Kandiyohi County residents to sign up for CTC’s service and pay a $25 refundable deposit. The company has said it won’t go forward with construction of a fiber line until it has commitments from at least 50 percent of the homes and businesses in the project area.

As of Monday, the goal of 810 customers has apparently been met. County officials said Tuesday that deposit payments are still trickling in. It’s likely to be a few more days until all the payments are received and CTC makes a final decision on whether to proceed.