The Austin Herald reports…

The Minnesota Senate’s reversal in how much in funding its willing to invest in the Border-to-Border Broadband Grant Program is disappointing and, should it pass at the current amount of $30 million, it could constitute a costly delay in the economic growth of Greater Minnesota.

Earlier this week, the Senate passed its Senate Agriculture Ominbus Bill by a vote of 43-24. In that bill it allotted $30 million for broadband in the state, down from its original proposal of $70 million.

The Governor’s Broadband Task Force, in its annual report released in 2018, found that $70 million every two years is needed to meet the 2022 state speed goal of 25mbps download and 5mbps upload to every home and business.

To go further, $70 million every two years keeps on track the state statutory speed goals of 100mbps download and 20mbps upload.

It goes without saying that broadband for the entire state of Minnesota is a much needed boon for small business and farmers alike. Slow upload and download speeds make it difficult for people working in those areas to do even the day-to-day things necessary to operate their business in an efficient manner.