Traverse County is not poised to meet the MN broadband speed goals for either 2022 or 2026.

Green=served Purple=underesrved Red=unserved

In 2017, Mediacom has announced upgrades to Gig service in parts of Traverse County, specifically Wheaton. Traverse is also getting almost $2 million in FCC funding but that is over the next 10 years.

At a regional meeting hosted by Blandin Foundation in 2018, Traverse County gave an update on their broadband situation…

What was the story in Traverse County?
They found an interested provider in the area. They cut a deal where the county lent the company money and provided some easier access to towers. Once the provider got a certain number of providers, they had to look at paying back the loan. They’ve been successful. It’s wireless. It’s maybe not 25/3 but it’s better than what people had before.
Wireless isn’t wireless – it’s wireless to a tower that needs fiber.
Fixed wireless isn’t a long terms acceptable solution for Minnesota. They are akin to party lines. MY connectivity cannot depend on my neighbor’s trees (or on whether they build a new barn).
But fixed wireless is working in places like Renville Sibley County – where people can get fixed wireless and are happy to have it until FTTH becomes available.

Checklist:

• 100/20 ranking: 71
• 25/3 ranking: 78
• Has worked with Blandin: yes
• Has received a MN Broadband grant
• Household density: 2.6
• Number of providers: 7

Details:

• Find more articles on broadband in Traverse County (http://tinyurl.com/gmvojv8)
• Districts: CD 7
  Senate: 12
  House: 12A
• Find your reps

I am doing the annual look at broadband in each county – based on maps from the Office of Broadband Development and news gathered from the last year. I’m looking at progress toward the 2022 (25 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up) and 2026 (100 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up) and will code each:

• Red (yikes)
• Yellow (warning)
• Green (good shape)