Green=served Purple=underesrved Red=unserved
Rank (from 100/20 megabits per second): 36
Code: Red
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.
Lyon County: Needs help, needs increased engagement
In 2017, Lyon County went from zero to more than 70 percent broadband coverage at speeds of 100/20 Mbps. Unfortunately, a feasibility study in 2018 indicated that it was too expensive to build Fiber to the Home (FTTH) even with the help of a Border to Border grant. But there are hybrid solutions and the County could campaign for higher than 50 percent matches from the Border to Border grants, as others have done.
Broadband Access:
| 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
| 100/20 (2026 goal) | 79.92 | 81.89 | 72.77 | 0 |
| 25/3 (2022 goal) | 85.82 | 85.8 | 80.71 | 72.37 |
| 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% |
| Lyon | 89.5% | 80.8% | 73.3% | 56.1% | 2.9% |
What we learned in the past:
In Spring of 2018, with support from Blandin Foundation, the county released the results of a feasibility study. It determined that it was not economically feasible to build fiber everywhere in the rural parts of the county using the existing Border-to-Border grant program—the 50% grant matching in that program is not enough to create a sustainable network. However, the hybrid fiber and wireless solutions all look to be economically viable.
Lyon County benefited from four state grants:
- 2017 – MVTC (Minnesota Valley Telephone Company, Inc.) – Milroy Broadband Project – GRANT $742,365
- 2017 – Woodstock Telephone Company – Balaton FTTP – GRANT $413,009
- 2016 – MIDCO CANBY TO MARSHALL MIDDLE MILE AND LAST MILE – GRANT AMOUNT: $623,000
- 2015 – MVTV Wireless Middle Mile – Grant award: $808,080
Update from 2020:
No broadband reports from Lyon County since last report.
Checklist:
- Find more articles on broadband in Lyon County (http://tinyurl.com/hzlzzvs)
- 100/20 Mbps ranking: 36 (down 6)
- Has worked with Blandin: yes
- Has received a MN Broadband grant: yes
- Household density: 14.2
Details:
- Districts: CD 7
Senate: 16, 22
House: 16A, 22A - 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)
