The West Central Tribune reports…

Of the five counties served by the Upper Minnesota River Valley Regional Development Commission, Chippewa and Yellow Medicine counties have the farthest to go to provide broadband services in their rural areas.

Chippewa and Yellow Medicine are working to make that better…

The RDC hosted a series of six meetings with rural residents in Chippewa and Yellow Medicine counties during the past year to identify the issues and demand.

The meetings made evident the interest that exists in the rural areas of the two counties, and the needs, according to Laura Ostlie with the RDC.

She heard from businesses in areas ranging from Clara City to Canby who cited the challenges they face due to limitations they now experience. In some cases, businesses are turning to costly access to the internet through their mobile phones to meet their needs.

Of those who attended the meetings, 97 percent have internet access, and 87 percent said they had six or more devices that used it. Just over half, or 56 percent of those attending the meetings, rated their current service as “poor.”

Residents would pay more for better service…

Surveys at the meetings revealed rural customers in the two counties are paying an average of $51 a month for internet service. One third said they are willing to pay $30 more per month for improved service.