The County Messenger reports…

The Scandia City Council last week agreed to provide a letter of support to Midco Communications encouraging the company to apply for a second Minnesota Border-To-Border Broadband Development Grant. The council also earmarked $165,000 in capital improvement dollars for its 2021 budget as the local matching portion, should the grant be approved.

“We need to keep the momentum going,” said council member Patti Ray, who serves on the city’s Internet Action Committee. “Good internet service is as important as good roads and good schools to our city.”

The council has been considering ways to expand broadband service in the city for the better part of three years. After exploring several options, including a fiber-to-the-premises proposal that was ultimately deemed too expensive, the city partnered with Midco late last year in seeking and receiving the grant.