Green=served Purple=underesrved Red=unserved

Rank (from 100/20 megabits per second): 56
Code: Yellow

Annually, Blandin Foundation pulls together data from the Minnesota Office of Broadband Development and broadband news to gauge progress toward the state broadband goals (25 megabits per second download/3 Mbps upload by 2022 and 100 Mbps/20 Mbps by 2026). Leaders can use this information to improve broadband access and use in their communities. To see how the state is doing overall, or to compare counties, visit the Blandin Foundation interactive map. Or check out past years’ reports: 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

Douglas County: Border to Border grants seem to push them forward

Douglas County has benefited from quite a few Border to Border grants and three more projects were awarded funds in their area last time around. Runestone got $1.7 million grant; hopefully it will help propel them closer to ubiquitous coverage.

Broadband Access:

Computer Access:

What we learned in the past:

Douglas County has benefited from a number of MN broadband grants:

• 2017 – Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association – Douglas County: Country Estates FTTH Project – GRANT $101,624
• 2017 – Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association – Douglas County: Pospisil Drive FTTH Project – GRANT $54,155
• 2016 – GARDONVILLE COOPERATIVE TELEPHONE DOUGLAS COUNTY LAKE LOUISE – GRANT: $68,240
• 2016 – RUNESTONE TELEPHONE HOLMES CITY 2 — GRANT: $700,674
• 2015 – Runestone Telephone Association – Holmes City – Grant award: $189,990

Update from 2020:

Douglas stands to benefit from three Border to Border grants awarded in the last round:

• 2019: Charter Communications – Lake Carlos Project – GRANT $74,540
  This middle and last mile project will upgrade approximately 43 unserved households, two unserved businesses, and two unserved farms on the eastern side of Lake Carlos in Douglas County. In a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota, Charter Communications will improve broadband service levels up to 940 Mbps download and 35 Mbps upload, exceeding the 2022 and 2026 state speed goals. Consumers will be able to work from home, have better access to education and healthcare, and businesses will be better able to compete locally and globally.
• Total eligible project cost is $149,081
• Local match is $74,541
• 2019: Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association – Krohnfeldt Drive FTTH Project – GRANT $42,921
  This last mile project will upgrade approximately 24 unserved locations in the Miltona Township area of Douglas County. In a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota, Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association will improve broadband service levels up to 1 Gbps download and 1 Gbps upload, meeting or exceeding the 2022 and 2026 state speed goals. Providing customers with adequate speeds to perform daily activities, along with improving their functionality, will enhance the quality of life in this neighborhood for years to come.
• Total eligible cost is $95,380
• Local match is $52,459

• 2019: Runestone Telecom Association – South Alexandria Project – GRANT $1,760,423
  This last mile project will upgrade approximately 908 unserved locations in areas of Lake Mary, Hudson, and La Grand Townships in Douglas County. In a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota, Runestone Telecom will improve broadband service levels up to 1 Gbps download and 1 Gbps upload, exceeding the 2022 and 2026 state speed goals. This project proposal began in late 2017 with three residents approaching Runestone in search of a solution to their lack of broadband service. By improving internet connectivity in rural Minnesota, this project addresses how providing broadband access can increase economic development and reduce factors contributing to the population exodus from unserved rural locations.
  

• Total eligible cost is $4,401,058
• Local match is $2,640,635

Checklist:

• Find more articles on broadband in Douglas County. (http://tinyurl.com/jqpohsc)
• 100/20 Mbps ranking: 56 (no change)
• Has worked with Blandin: no
• Has received a MN Broadband grant: yes
• Household density: 21.2

Details:

• Districts: CD 7
  Senate: 8, 12
  House: 8B, 12A, 12B
• 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)