Green=served Purple=underesrved Red=unserved
Rank (from 100/20 megabits per second): 11
Code: Green
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.
Stevens County: Decent coverage but not much community engagement
Stevens County has been involved with broadband for years. They participated in the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA)-funded, Blandin Foundation-led, Minnesota Intelligent Rural Communities (2009-2012) effort to promote use of broadband across rural Minnesota. They are well served but have been stalled at “nearly there” status for as long as we’ve been tracking. They will likely need a push to get to ubiquitous broadband at speeds of 100/20 Mbps.
Broadband Access:
| 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
| 100/20 (2026 goal) | 96.79 | 96.74 | 96.74 | 96.73 |
| 25/3 (2022 goal) | 99.22 | 99.22 | 99.22 | 99.21 |
| 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% |
| Stevens | 87.1% | 79.3% | 71.3% | 54.2% | 2.1% |
What we learned in the past:
Stevens County has been involved with broadband for a while. They participated in the ARRA-funded, Blandin Foundation-led, Minnesota Intelligent Rural Communities (2009-2012) effort to promote use of broadband across rural Minnesota.
Stevens County has benefited from two MN broadband grants:
- 2017 – Advantenon – Rural Grant, Stevens and Wilkin Counties – Grant $316,554
- 2014 – Otter Tail Telcom, Swan Lake West – Award: $438,937.
Update from 2020:
No broadband news from Stevens County since the last broadbadn profile.
Checklist:
- Find more articles on broadband in Stevens County (http://tinyurl.com/joutu2h)
- 100/20 Mbps ranking: 11 (down 1)
- Has worked with Blandin: yes
- Has received a MN Broadband grant: yes
- Household density: 6.5
Details:
- 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)
