Green=served Purple=underesrved Red=unserved
Rank (from 100/20 megabits per second): 57
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.
Houston County: recent grant may help close the gap
Houston County broadband coverage has not changed much since we started tracking. They have been stalled at 65-70 percent access for four years. However, they will benefit from a Border to Border grant awarded to AcenTek in the last round of grants.
Broadband Access:
| 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
| 100/20 (2026 goal) | 69.66 | 67.81 | 66.63 | 65.08 |
| 25/3 (2022 goal) | 77.1 | 72.94 | 71.29 | 72.23 |
| County | Households with computer | …with desktop or laptop | …with a smartphone | …with a tablet et al | …with other |
| State of MN | 90.3% | 81.1% | 76.5% | 59.3% | 3.5% |
| Houston | 86.4% | 78.2% | 65.5% | 51.7% | 3.5% |
What we learned in the past:
Houston County has shown an interest in better broadband. In 2017, a project that sought state funding, but they didn’t get it.
Update from 2020:
Houston County will benefit from a Border to Border grant awarded in 2019.
- 2019: AcenTek – Rural Houston Exchange FTTH – GRANT $2,895,318
This last mile project will upgrade approximately 485 unserved and 424 underserved locations in areas of Houston and Winona Counties. In a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota and Houston County, AcenTek will improve broadband service levels up to 1 Gbps download and 1 Gbps upload, exceeding the 2022 and 2026 state speed goals. These investments will bring the benefits of high speed broadband to the many farms in the project area, enable employees in healthcare to work remotely, and allow students to be more successful. - Total eligible project cost is $9,651,059
- Local match is $6,755,741
Checklist:
- Find more articles on broadband in Houston County. (http://tinyurl.com/zst4kf5)
- 100/20 Mbps ranking: 57 (no change)
- Has worked with Blandin: no
- Has received a MN Broadband grant: no
- Household density: 13.8
Details:
- Districts: CD 1
Senate: 28
House: 28B - 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)
