American Tower, a leader in wireless communications infrastructure, and Nextlink Internet, an Internet Service Provider (ISP) focused on rural communities across the Central U.S., announced today that they have signed a new long-term agreement to help bring enhanced connectivity to users in rural America.
Under this new agreement, Nextlink Internet plans to collocate on over 1,000 American Tower sites to facilitate rapid deployment of fixed broadband service to residents and small businesses across 11 states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Wyoming, and Wisconsin.
The MN Broadband grant recipients were announced on Thursday. While the announcement is always bittersweet, which is unavoidable when there a winning and losing communities. This time around the announcement is also controversial because 10 applications were taken out of the mix because those projects are located in areas that are now potentially eligible for federal funding (RDOF). MinnPost picks up on that issue…
That’s because Gov. Tim Walz’s administration won’t award state money for projects where telecom companies won more than $408 million in federal grants to provide new internet service across swaths of northeast, central and southern Minnesota. The biggest federal grant winner was the controversial LTD Broadband, a company the governor’s own broadband task force is skeptical can meet its promises for a huge range of projects.
State officials say it could be a waste of taxpayer money to subsidize internet where another company plans to build infrastructure with other grant funding. And LTD Broadband maintains it can deliver a huge surge in broadband service in Minnesota. But some local developers say LTD’s failure, or even success, could delay broadband internet for areas they could quickly serve.
“Communities in Minnesota have worked diligently with providers to develop applications and had shovel-ready projects that could have been built as soon as this summer if they received a state grant,” Vince Robinson, chairman of the Minnesota Rural Broadband Coalition, said in a statement. “Now, communities that applied for state grants but were included in (federal) auction areas could have to wait up to six years before they receive service.”
They spoke to Barbara in Le Sueur about being in an area that is no longer eligible…
Barbara Droher Kline, a broadband consultant working with Le Sueur County, said the county had applications rejected by the state for two broadband projects for roughly 500 homes in areas that could potentially be served by LTD. Both are next to parts of the county where the county and other partners built fiber infrastructure with $547,000 from the federal stimulus CARES Act.
Droher Kline said about two-thirds of eligible areas in Le Sueur County are now covered by LTD’s winning bids, which means they may get broadband, but it also may take years. She suggested the state ask the feds to withdraw RDOF funding in areas where the state program can build infrastructure quickly. “It would have been a drop in the bucket (for LTD) and we’d have fiber in the ground this spring,” Droher Kline said.
The recent grants were also mentioned in the following places:
New broadband initiatives were launched in the Chisholm-Balkan area through the Iron Range Blandin Broadband Communities (BBC) program. A collaboration of community partners included: Balkan Township, City of Chisholm, Chisholm Economic Development Authority (CEDA), Chisholm Chamber of Commerce and Chisholm Independent School District #695. Each organization led one or more of the following projects: [list is abbreviated]
A new website for Balkan Township that includes a community calendar, recycling and municipal services, township government news and automated reservations for the community center.
Marketing videos to promote life in Chisholm.
A new website for the city of Chisholm
Public Wifi improvements at the Chisholm Public Library.
10 mobile internet hotspots available to check out
A scavenger hunt app for Chisholm’s community events.
Free digital marketing assistance to 10 Chisholm small businesses
Public Wifi access on Chisholm ISD school buses.
100 mobile internet hotspots
Improved public wifi at Minnesota Discovery Center
A distance learning project by Minnesota Discovery Center
The International Fall Journal posts a letter to the editor in support of legislators supporting broadband grant funding…
In today’s world, economic development in rural areas needs a lot of serious attention. Young people go off to vocational schools, colleges or to find jobs in other areas. Downtown areas in rural communities have a hard time to stay afloat without a pandemic and worse during a pandemic.
Rep. Rob Ecklund and Sen. Tom Bakk understand that and have taken the lead in the Minnesota Legislature to bring funding to rural areas that build internet infrastructure. Broadband internet is the future. It makes it possible for many to work from home, not have to leave their communities and possibilities for businesses to thrive and grow. This pandemic surely has shown us the importance of the internet for students and their families.
Broadband has kept us connected and has kept our economy and lives at least limping along until the pandemic can give way to a return to something resembling normalcy.
So Minnesotans can greet this news from St. Paul during these first days of legislative session with optimism: Lawmakers are working on continued funding to keep pushing internet access deeper into the state’s rural reaches and to keep improving connection speeds everywhere.
They get into the numbers…
Last year, lawmakers allocated $40 million, one of the largest investments in internet access in state history, a reflection of the urgency posed by the pandemic.
“We found out it wasn’t nearly enough,” Rep. Rob Ecklund, DFL-International Falls, the broadband bill’s lead sponsor, said in an interview last fall with the News Tribune Editorial Board. “There were $79 million worth of requests for projects. So we know there’s more work to do.”
With funding requests only growing, Ecklund this session has introduced a $120 million state investment over two years — $60 million annually. The state’s broadband matching grants program would receive the money and use it to leverage private dollars to reach speed and connectivity goals set statewide. This week, Gov. Tim Walz’s budget proposal included $50 million a year for the biennium for broadband.
Unfortunately, Walz’s budget is for $50 million for one year. That’s an important distinct first because of the obvious difference in amount but also because the MN Broadband Task Force has recommended $60 million per year ($120 million per biennium) on an ongoing basis so that communities and providers have time to plan to invest and build.
Even if Ecklund’s $60 million per year or Walz’s $50 million per year aren’t what wind up approved and allocated this session for broadband, an appropriate dollar figure can be negotiated. Minnesotans can be encouraged that a commitment in St. Paul to improving internet access and connection speeds remains strong on both sides of the aisle. We also can be encouraged that $7 billion has been earmarked for broadband efforts nationwide from federal COVID-19 relief funds. Minneosota certainly stands to receive its share.
“We can’t leave people behind,” Sen. Rich Draheim, R-Madison Lake, said in a story in the Mankato, Minnesota, Free Press this week about broadband funding.
The MN House Chief Clerk’s Office reports on three new bills that were announced and might be of interest to folks in the broadband world. The first two involve removing barriers that would make telehealth easier. The third recommends a Task Force of sorts to come up with 911 recommendations, which would include the network.
HF340,A bill for an act relating to health care; requiring medical assistance to cover telemonitoring services; amending Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 256B.0625, by adding a subdivision.
The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Health Finance and Policy.
HF511,A bill for an act relating to human services; modifying requirements for substance use disorder and mental health treatment provided via telemedicine; amending Minnesota Statutes 2020, sections 245G.01, subdivisions 13, 26; 245G.05, subdivision 1; 245G.06, subdivision 1; 254A.19, subdivision 5; 254B.05, subdivision 5; 256B.0625, subdivisions 3b, 46; repealing Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 245G.22, subdivision 13.
The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Human Services Finance and Policy.
HF515,A bill for an act relating to public safety; establishing a 911 telecommunicator working group to establish statewide standards for training and certification; requiring a report.
The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform Finance and Policy.
The Swift County Monitor News editor looks at What Biden Should Do For Rural America. They are based off recommendations of professors Lisa R. Pruit of California, Jessica A. Shoemaker of Nebraska, and Ann Eisenberg of the South Carolina, with a few edits and observations, to make them more meaningful for rural Minnesota. The first recommendation is better broadband…
High-speed internet for everyone
“The COVID-19 era has made more acute something rural communities were already familiar with: High-speed internet is the gateway to everything. Education, work, health care, information access, and even a social life depend directly on broadband,” they write.
Some of us are fortunate in that our rural internet connections are very good. The vast majority of Stevens, Swift, and Big Stone counties have excellent broadband speeds of 100 MPS or better. Other counties in western Minnesota aren’t as fortunate and need improvement.
100 MPS+ Broadband Coverage
County Percent
Stevens 97.1 %
Swift County 89.4 %
Big Stone 88.4 %
Chippewa 71.8 %
Pope 69.0 %
Grant 63.0 %
Traverse 47.9 %
If President Joe Biden and members of Congress want to improve rural America’s competitive edge, finance the expansion of high-speed internet.
What we’ve learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the remote working required by so many is that more people can live and work from rural America
The group heard from the Office of Broadband Development about the MN state grants announced yesterday and sources of federal funding. Then they talked about topics they wanted to address throughout the year.
Big topics:
The 2020 Broadband Task Force Report is out.
The Governor’s budget includes $50 million for broadband grants in year one.
The Office of Broadband Development announced grant recipients yesterday.
You can watch the archive – again, I have quite the MacGyver setup to make this happen so please overlook imperfections in the video and notes taken on an old computer below.
Minnesota’s approach to broadband infrastructure development and deployment is regarded by many as best in class and considered as a model to follow. The key components that make it so successful are the Border to Border grant matching program, the mapping capabilities, the realistic and forward-looking internet speed goals, and the Office of Broadband Development (OBD). To maintain the leadership position Minnesota has created for itself, the Task Force has evaluated the effectiveness of the program and recommends a number of adjustments to ensure continued progress and guarantee that all Minnesotans have access to adequate broadband service in this new digital age.
The Broadband Grant Program should maintain priority on the 157,000 unserved households as they are unlikely to get service without the grant program. After careful review of the estimated cost to serve those households and applicable federal programs, the Task Force has found that it would be best to continue to fund the Broadband Grant Program at a biennial amount of $120 million. The State should fund the Border-to-Border Broadband Grant Program as a part of the base budget each year to ensure continued progress unhindered by surpluses or deficits which have caused inconsistent funding. The Task Force has also determined that all future awards and expenditures must be on service that meets or exceeds the 2026 speed goal of 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload.
And the recommendations:
Recommendation #1 Continue to fund the Broadband Grant Program at a biennial amount of $120 million from the base budget each year and ensure that all future expenditures must be on service that meets or exceeds the 2026 speed goal of 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload.
Recommendation #2 The Taskforce recommends the Office of Broadband Development receive an appropriation of $700,000 per biennium from the base budget. That figure is OBD’s estimate of funding needed to maintain current operations.
Recommendation #3 Create an Office of Broadband operating annual fund of $1.5 million to promote broadband adoption and use and redress digital inequity.
Recommendation #4 Given the condensed construction season in Minnesota, it is critical that permits are issued promptly. The state should convene a working group comprised of all state agencies relating to broadband construction permitting to streamline the process, both in time to issue the permits as well as the permit application process.
Recommendation #5 There needs to be more oversight of railroad facilities by the Office of Pipeline Safety. Railroads need to be required to locate their own facilities and need to be encouraged to issue permits promptly.
The new legislative session began on Jan. 5 and there are many pressing issues our state needs to address including balancing the state budget, responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, and helping small businesses and their workers recover from the pandemic.
His priority on broadband…
I am also working on improving the access and affordability of high-speed broadband in Northern Minnesota. Working and learning is especially challenging without reliable internet access.
Today the Office of Broadband announced the recipients latest round of broadband grants. High level details, from the press conference (so math is very high level)…
$20 million in state funding
$45 million total investment for projects (so $25 in matching)
39 projects funded from 64 applications
The RDOF (federal funding) changed the equation for applicants in areas that qualified for RDOF funding. Applicants in RDOF areas were asked to reapply to the State and remove the RDOF areas. (RDOF areas were announced after communities had applied for State grants.) In the end, DEED removed the applications in RDOF areas because they didn’t want to double up on state and federal funding. Frustrating to the applicants because RDOF areas qualify for federal funding, they are not guaranteed funding. (I wrote about RDOF progress before.)
When asked about RDOF, one winning applicant explained that the process to get funding from the State is quite rigorous. And Commissioner Grove noted that the turn around for State projects is faster. They both missed the point – some communities in RDOF areas are concerned at the lack of federal rigor and slower timeline.
The balance of State and Federal funding for broadband came up at a MN House Committee meeting last week. It’s sure to be a hot topic for the Legislature and Broadband Task Force as more federal money comes into the state.
This last mile project will serve 214 unserved households, 18 unserved businesses, 88 unserved farms, and two unserved community anchor institutions as well as 47 underserved households and five underserved businesses in areas of Fillmore and Winona counties. In a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota and Fillmore County EDA, AcenTek will improve these 374 locations’ broadband levels up to 1 Gbps download and 100 Mbps upload, exceeding the 2022 and 2026 state speed goals. These investments will bring the benefits of high speed broadband, increase economic opportunity and improve the quality of life for the people who live, work, and farm in the rural Peterson area.
Total eligible project cost is $4,973,654
Local match is $3,481,558
Arvig (Tekstar Communications, Inc.) – Lake Osakis, Sauk Lake & Smith Lake Project – GRANT $486,458 (Todd and Douglas counties)
This middle and last mile project will upgrade approximately 230 unserved and 39 underserved locations in Todd and Douglas counties. Through a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota, Arvig (Tekstar) will improve broadband levels up to 1 Gbps download and 1 Gbps upload, exceeding the 2022 and 2026 state speed goals. The area served will realize improved quality of life, including opportunities for business, education, health care, security, and telecommuting options.
Total eligible project cost is $1,389,880
Local match is $903,422
Benton Cooperative Telephone Company – Ramey Phase 2 Project – GRANT $338,011 (Mille Lacs County)
This last mile project will serve 119 unserved locations in the Ramey telephone exchange located in portions of Lakin and Mount Morris townships in Morrison County and a small portion of Dailey and Page townships located in Mille Lacs County. Through a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota, Benton Cooperative Telephone Company will bring service of 250 Mbps download and 250 Mbps upload to homes, businesses and farms in the project area, exceeding the 2022 and 2026 state speed goals.
Total eligible project cost is $965,746
Local match is $627,735
BEVCOMM (Blue Earth Valley Telephone Company, Easton Telephone Company & Cannon Valley Telecom) – Rural Faribault County and Martin County Fiber Expansion Phase 2 Project – GRANT $1,182,818
This last mile project will serve approximately two unserved households, 203 underserved households, 46 underserved businesses, and 181 underserved farms in portions of Faribault and Martin counties. In a funding
partnership with the State of Minnesota, Faribault County EDA and Martin County EDA, BEVCOMM will provide fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) at speeds of up to 1 Gbps symmetrical, exceeding the 2022 and 2026 state speed goals. Broadband access will provide home-based business options, stimulate economic growth, and spark innovation and investment in the project area.
Total eligible project cost is $2,957,043
Local match is $1,774,225
BEVCOMM (Cannon Valley Telecom, Inc.) – Rural Morristown Fiber Expansion Project – GRANT $210,692 (Rice, Waseca, and Steele counties)
This last mile project will serve approximately 14 unserved and 94 underserved locations in portions of Rice, Waseca, and Steele counties. In a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota and Rice County Housing & Redevelopment Authority, BEVCOMM will improve broadband levels to 1 Gbps symmetrical, exceeding the 2022 and 2026 state speed goals. With access to broadband, education, health care, agriculture, energy efficiency, and public safety will improve within the project area.
Total eligible project cost is $526,729
Local match is $316,037
Charter Communications (Spectrum) – Cambridge Hills – GRANT $28,950 (Olmsted County)
This middle and last mile project will serve approximately 41 unserved households in Marion Township in Olmsted County. Through a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota, Charter Communications will bring broadband service levels up to 940 Mbps download and 35 Mbps upload, exceeding the 2022 and 2026 state speed goals. Broadband access will enhance the quality of life for residents in the project area, enabling students to complete their school assignments from home and adults to work from home.
Total eligible project cost is $96,582
Local match is $67,632
Charter Communications (Spectrum) – Getchell Road – GRANT $11,400 (St. Louis County)
This middle and last mile project will provide broadband service to eight unserved households in northern Duluth in St. Louis County. Through a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota, Charter Communications will provide speeds up to 940 Mbps download and 35 Mbps upload, exceeding the State’s 2022 and 2026 speed goals.
Total eligible project cost is $25,360
Local match is $13,960
Charter Communications (Spectrum) – West Lake Carlos – GRANT $24,450 (Douglas County)
This middle and last mile project will serve approximately 42 unserved households on the west side of Lake Carlos in Douglas County. In a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota, Charter Communications will provide broadband service levels up to 940 Mbps download and 35 Mbps upload, exceeding the State’s 2022 and 2026 speed goals and providing quality of life enhancements for the residents of the project area.
Total eligible project cost is $81,661
Local match is $57,211
Consolidated Telephone Company (CTC) – Stark-Ross Lake Area – GRANT $350,805 (Crow Wing County)
This last mile project will serve approximately 180 unserved locations in a portion of Ross Lake Township in Crow Wing County. Through a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota, CTC will provide speeds of 1 Gbps symmetrical (1 Gbps download and upload), exceeding 2022 and 2026 state speed goals. Building this high-speed broadband network will enable students to better access educational resources, families to communicate with loved ones, businesses to grow and thrive, aging residents to live longer and healthier lives, and workers to telecommute and be more productive employees.
Total eligible project cost is $701,610
Local match is $350,805
Crosslake Communications – O’Brien/Goodrich Lake Fiber Project – GRANT $618,970 (Crow Wing County)
This last mile O’Brien/Goodrich Lake Fiber Project will serve approximately 232 unserved households in Crow Wing County. In a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota, Crosslake Communications will offer broadband services at speeds attaining 1 Gbps symmetrical (upstream and downstream), exceeding the State’s 2022 and 2026 speed goals. The use and development of this broadband will provide home-based business options, stimulate economic growth, innovation and investment as well as improve education, health care, energy efficiency, and public safety for the residents of the project area.
Total eligible project cost is $1,547,424
Local match is $928,454
Garden Valley Technologies – Northwest Thief River Falls and Euclid – GRANT (Marshall and Polk counties) $1,640,722
This middle and last mile project will serve 104 unserved and 22 underserved locations in portions of Marshall and Polk counties. The project will bring internet speeds to a synchronous 1 Gbps capability, exceeding the State’s 2022 and 2026 speed goals. Essential to the area’s economic prosperity, broadband will allow area residents to work from home and students to participate in distance learning as well as provide improved access to telemedicine and enable businesses and farms connectivity for financial management, pest management information and up to date weather information.
Total eligible project cost is $3,281,444
Local match is $1,640,722
Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association – Douglas County – County Road 34 FTTH Project – GRANT $1,551,370
This last mile project will serve 71 unserved and 544 underserved locations in Ida and Carlos townships in Douglas County. Through a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota, Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association will improve unserved/underserved levels to 1 Gbps download and 1 Gbps upload, exceeding the State’s 2022 and 2026 speed goals. This fiber-to-the-premise (FTTP) project will provide households, businesses and farms with high-speeds needed to work, to learn, to play, and to connect.
Total eligible project cost is $3,447,488
Local match is $1,896,118
Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association – Douglas County – Hazel Hill Road FTTH Project – GRANT $692,929
This middle and last mile project will serve 212 unserved households, 79 unserved businesses and one unserved farm in Alexandria Township in Douglas County. Through a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota, Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association will provide speeds of 1Gbps download and 1 Gbps upload, exceeding the State’s 2022 and 2026 speed goals. Providing customers with adequate speeds to perform daily activities, along with improving their functionality, will enhance the quality of life in this community for years to come.
Total eligible project cost is $1,732,322
Local match is $1,039,393
Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association – Douglas County – Town Hall Road FTTH Project – GRANT $90,251
This last mile project will serve 46 unserved and 3 underserved locations in La Grand Township in Douglas County, including home-based businesses and households with telecommuters. Through a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota, Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association will improve unserved/underserved levels to 1G per second download and 1G per second upload, exceeding the State’s 2022 and 2026 speed goals. This fiber-to-the-premise (FTTP) project will provide the most dependable, reliable technology today, enhancing lives by keeping families and communities connected.
Total eligible project cost is $225,628
Local match is $135,377
Halstad Telephone Company – North Fisher Expansion – GRANT $619,000 (Polk County)
This last mile project will upgrade approximately 57 unserved and seven underserved locations in portions of Huntsville, Nesbit and Fanny townships in Polk County. In a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota, Halstad Telephone Company will improve broadband with speeds up to 1 Gbps download and 1 Gbps upload, exceeding the State’s 2022 and 2026 speed goals. Families living in the project area will improve their education and health with access to e-learning, e-medicine and other quality-of-life opportunities provided through a robust broadband connection. Farms will be more efficient and reduce their impacts on the environment by utilizing precision farming techniques. Businesses can increase productivity, allow remote working, and become more competitive as they use the improved broadband for operations, marketing, data analytics, and expanded e-commerce opportunities.
Total eligible project cost is $1,376,000
Local match is $757,000
KMTelecom – Rock Dell Northwest Fiber Build – GRANT $385,173 (Olmsted County)
This last mile project will serve approximately 125 unserved locations in the rural Ashland and Vernon townships in Dodge County and Salem Township in Olmsted County. In a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota, KMTelecom will improve unserved levels to 1 Gbps up and 1 Gbps down, exceeding the 2022 and 2026 state speed goals and enabling rural customers to have adequate online access to education, healthcare and work. This network will also allow the farming community to increase their productivity and have access to the latest farming technologies.
Total eligible project cost is $1,283,910
Local match is $898,737
KMTelecom – Rock Dell Southwest Fiber Build – GRANT $404,709 (DOdge and Mower Counties)
This last mile project will serve approximately 96 unserved households, 70 farms and five unserved businesses in rural Vernon Township in Dodge County and Sargeant Township in Mower County. In a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota, KMTelecom will improve speeds to 1 Gbps up and 1 Gbps down, exceeding the 2022 and 2026 state speed goals. This network will bring broadband speeds that are now necessary for rural customers to have access to education, healthcare and work, as well as allow the farming community to increase their productivity and have access to the latest farming technologies.
Total eligible project cost is $1,349,031
Local match is $944,322
Lismore Cooperative Telephone Company (Lismore Broadband) – Iona FTTP – GRANT $219,714 (Murray County)
This last mile and middle mile project will serve approximately 100 unserved locations including 75 households, nine businesses, 13 farms, and three community institutions within the town of Iona. In a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota and Murray County, Lismore will improve speed levels to 1 Gbps up and 1 Gbps down on their fiber network, improving access to education and healthcare services, increasing employment as businesses leverage this network and making telecommuting opportunities accessible. The new network is vital to this rural community and economy.
Total eligible project cost is $732,381
Local match is $512,667
Mediacom Minnesota LLC – Field of Dreams Hermantown Project – GRANT $624,751 (St. Louis County.)
This last mile project will serve approximately 267 underserved households, six underserved businesses, and one underserved community anchor institution in Hermantown in St. Louis County. In a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota and City of Hermantown, Mediacom will improve broadband levels to 1 Gbps download and 50 Mbps upload, exceeding the State’s 2022 and 2026 speed goals. This investment will improve quality of life and business development opportunities for the project area.
This last mile project will serve 80 unserved households in Minnestrista in Hennepin County. Through a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota, Mediacom will provide speeds of 1 Gbps download and 50 Mbps upload, exceeding the State’s 2022 and 2026 speed goals. By bringing broadband to this unserved area, the project will enhance quality of life and provide economic opportunities.
Total eligible project cost is $421,673
Local match is $231,921
Meeker Cooperative Light & Power Association (Vibrant Broadband) – Lake Koronis – GRANT $41,927 (Meeker County)
This last mile project will serve approximately 28 unserved and seven underserved locations in Union Grove Township in Meeker County. In a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota, Meeker Cooperative will improve speed levels to 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload, meeting or exceeding Minnesota’s 2022 and 2026 state speed goals. Building a fiber-to-the-premise (FTTP) high-speed broadband services network will provide
households, businesses and farms in the project area with access to e-learning, telemedicine, precision agriculture tools, as well as other critical applications.
The Rural Preston fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) project will serve 231 unserved and 26 underserved locations in the rural portions of southern Fillmore County. In a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota, City of Preston and Fillmore County, MiBroadband will improve speeds to 1 Gbps down and 1 Gbps upload on a fiber network, exceeding the State’s 2022 and 2026 speed goals. Building a FTTP network will improve access to education and healthcare services. It will also increase employment as businesses leverage this new network and telecommuting opportunities become accessible.
Total eligible project cost is $3,370,372
Local match is $2,197,042
Midco (Midcontinent Communications) – Scandia – GRANT $78,824 (Washington County)
This last mile project will serve 78 underserved households and one underserved business in remote neighborhoods of Scandia in Washington County. In a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota and City of Scandia, Midco will improve broadband service levels to symmetrical 5 Gbps speeds, exceeding the State’s 2022 and 2026 speed goals. By providing high-speed broadband services in the Scandia area, this project improves access to critical school e-learning and telehealth and will stimulate a more robust local economy.
Total eligible project cost is $434,144
Local match is $355,320
Mille Lacs Energy Cooperative (MLEC) – Mille Lacs Energy Cooperative Phase 4 FTTH – GRANT $198,607 (Aitkin County)
This fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) project will serve 80 unserved and five underserved locations along the southeast side of Farm Island Lake in Aitkin County. Through a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota, MLEC will bring 1 Gbps speeds to 84 homes and one business on the fiber route, exceeding the State’s 2022 and 2026 speed goals. With access to a high-quality dependable communications infrastructure, residents in the project area will realize expanded educational, economic and healthcare opportunities.
Total eligible project cost is $441,350
Local match is $242,743
Minnesota Valley Telephone Company (MVTC) – Rural Franklin Fiber Project – GRANT $226,800 (Redwood, Renville and Brown counties)
This middle and last mile project will serve approximately 45 unserved locations in the City of Franklin and the townships of Sherman, Eden, Camp and Birch Cooley in Redwood, Renville and Brown counties. In a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota, Minnesota Valley Telephone Company will offer broadband services at 1 Gbps symmetrical (upstream and downstream), promoting rural economic development within the project area. The fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) project will transform these unserved areas into highly productive rural communities, opening doors to advancements such as precision agriculture, and will empower the area by providing the opportunity to be proficient users of broadband technology.
Total eligible project cost is $648,000
Local match is $421,200
Nuvera Communications, Inc. – Goodhue Welch FTTP – GRANT $340,790 (Goodhue County)
This last mile project south of Welch will serve 100 unserved and 15 underserved locations in Goodhue County. In a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota, Nuvera Communications, Inc. will bring broadband service levels to 1 Gbps download and 1 Gbps upload, exceeding the State’s 2022 and 2026 speed goals. This fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network will enable households, businesses and farms in the project area to utilize new technology and tools to grow and enhance their community.
Total eligible project cost is $973,686
Local match is $632,896
Nuvera Communications, Inc. – Goodhue West FTTP – GRANT $532,232 (Goodhue & Wabasha Counties)
This last mile project will serve 148 unserved and two underserved locations in Goodhue, Zumbrota, Minneola, and Belle Creek townships in Goodhue County and Chester Township in Wabasha County. In a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota, Nuvera Communications, Inc. will bring broadband service levels to 1 Gbps download and 1 Gbps upload, exceeding the State’s 2022 and 2026 speed goals. The reliable, affordable, high quality broadband service will enable residents in the project area to have increased access to health care and education, and farms and business will have the technology to enhance their operations.
Total eligible project cost is $1,520,662
Local match is $988,430
Nuvera Communications, Inc. – Hutchinson SE FTTP – GRANT $169,369 (McLeod County)
This last mile project will serve 42 unserved and five underserved locations in the Hutchinson area of McLeod County. In a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota, Nuvera Communications, Inc. will bring broadband service levels to 1 Gbps download and 1 Gbps upload, exceeding the State’s 2022 and 2026 speed goals. This fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network will provide reliable, affordable, high quality broadband to rural farms, businesses, and homes in the project area.
Total eligible project cost is $423,423
Local match is $254,054
Nuvera Communications, Inc. – New Ulm HDT 202 FTTP – GRANT $444,386 (Nicollet County)
This last mile project north of New Ulm will serve approximately 80 unserved and 67 underserved locations in Nicollet County. In a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota, Nuvera Communications, Inc. will bring broadband service levels to 1 Gbps download and 1 Gbps upload, exceeding the State’s 2022 and 2026 speed goals. This fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network will provide reliable, affordable, high quality broadband to rural farms, businesses, and homes, enabling them to thrive in a modern world.
Total eligible project cost is $1,269,675
Local match is $825,289
Nuvera Communications, Inc. – Webster Rural FTTP – GRANT $431,260 (Rice, Dakota & Scott Counties)
This last mile project will serve 103 unserved and 178 underserved locations in Wheatland and Webster townships in Rice County, Euraka and Greenvale townships in Dakota County, and New Market and Cedar Lake townships in Scott County. In a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota, Nuvera Communications, Inc. will bring broadband service levels to 1 Gbps download and 1 Gbps upload, exceeding the State’s 2022 and 2026 speed goals. The reliable, affordable, high quality broadband service will enable residents in the project area to have increased access to health care and education, and farms and business will have the technology to enhance their operations.
Total eligible project cost is $1,232,171
Local match is $800,911
Paul Bunyan Communications – City of Cook GigaZone Fiber – GRANT $311,254 (St. Louis County)
This last mile project will improve high-speed broadband for 57 unserved and 254 underserved locations in the community of Cook in St. Louis County. In a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota and City of Cook, Paul Bunyan Communications will improve broadband service levels up to 1 Gbps download and 1 Gbps upload, exceeding the 2022 and 2026 state speed goals for homes, businesses, and community facilities in the project area. The project will enable businesses to take advantage of online resources, including training, marketing, and business support services. In addition, it will increase quality of life and economic opportunity for all residents by providing new avenues to pursue education, employment, healthcare, social life, and entertainment.
Total eligible project cost is $691,675
Local match is $380,421
Runestone Telecom Association – Villard – GRANT $1,463,259 (Pope County)
This last mile project will serve 496 unserved households, 36 unserved businesses, nine unserved farms, and five unserved community anchor institutions in northeast Pope County. In a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota and Pope County, Runestone Telecom will bring broadband service levels up to 1 Gbps download and up to 1 Gbps upload, exceeding the 2022 and 2026 state speed goals. This fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) project will increase economic development and facilitate telemedicine and distance education options not only in the era of COVID-19, but beyond.
Total eligible project cost is $4,180,741
Local match is $2,717,482
Savage Communications Inc. (SCI) – Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe (Onamia) Broadband Expansion – GRANT $70,261 (Mille Lacs County)
This last mile fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) project will serve 102 unserved households within the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Reservation in Mille Lacs County. In a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota and Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, SCI Broadband will bring service levels of 1 Gbps down and 20 Mbps upload, exceeding the 2022 and 2026 state speed goals. SCI will leverage its existing middle mile infrastructure to deploy a last mile fiber solution, improving access to education, telemedicine, telecommuting, and economic development for the project area.
Total eligible project cost is $140,522
Local match is $70,261
Sytek Communications – Morrison/Todd/Stearns County FTTP Project – GRANT $1,048,668 (Southwest Morrison, Southeastern Todd and Northeastern Stearns counties)
This last mile project will bring service to 130 locations in Southwest Morrison, Southeastern Todd and Northeastern Stearns counties. Through a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota, Sytek Communications will extend fiber-optic lines to some of the most rural parts of Minnesota at service levels up to 1 Gbps download and 1 Gbps upload, exceeding the 2022 and 2026 state speed goals. As a result of this project, families will have the tools they need to earn a living, educate their children and access needed medical care.
Total eligible project cost is $2,330,373
Local match is $1,281,705
West Central Telephone Association – Rural Staples Phase 2 – GRANT $465,050 (Wadena and Cass counties)
This last mile project will serve 56 unserved locations in extremely rural areas of Wadena and Cass counties. In a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota, Sourcewell and Region 5, WCTA will bring service levels of 1 Gbps download and 1 Gbps upload, exceeding Minnesota’s 2022 and 2026 state speed goals. Building a fiber-to-the-premise (FTTP) network provides advanced, high-speed broadband services to households, businesses and farms in the project area, improving their access to e-learning, telehealth, the latest precision agriculture tools, and other applications that allow businesses to operate remotely and stimulate the local economy.
Total eligible project cost is $1,033,445
Local match is $568,395
Wikstrom Telephone Co. Inc. – Wiktel NW MN Broadband 2020 – GRANT $490,997 (Kittson, Marshall and Polk counties)
The last mile project will serve 153 unserved locations in sparsely populated areas in Kittson, Marshall and Polk counties. In a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota, Wikstrom Telephone will bring broadband speeds up to 1 Gbps download and 1 Gbps upload, exceeding the 2022 and 2026 state speed goals. This fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network will provide service to an area with only 1.5 subscribers per route mile of cable and is key to economic development, successful e-learning for children, and home health care monitoring in this remote area.
Total eligible project cost is $1,091,104
Local match is $600,107
Winnebago Cooperative Telecom Association – SE Faribault/W Freeborn County FTTP – GRANT $953,842 (Southeastern Faribault and Western Freeborn counties)
This last-mile fiber optic project will bring service to 319 unserved locations, including 289 homes, 16 businesses, 11 farms, and three community anchor institutions in the townships of Clark, Foster, Kiester, Seely, Alden, Carlston, Manchester, Mansfield, and Pickerel Lake located in Southeastern Faribault and Western Freeborn counties. In a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota, Winnebago Cooperative Telephone Association (WCTA) will bring 1 Gbps download and 1 Gbps upload service capabilities to this very rural part of southern Minnesota, exceeding the 2022 and 2026 state speed goals. As a result of this project, those served will have access to the broadband they need to adapt to the rapidly changing needs of business, employment, education, and social applications.
Total eligible project cost is $3,179,381
Local match is $2,225,539
Winthrop Telephone Company, Inc. – Bismarck & Transit Township FTTP Project – GRANT $716,000 (Sibley and McLeod counties)
This last mile project will serve 148 unserved and six underserved locations, including homes, businesses and farms, in Bismarck, Transit and Round Grove townships in Sibley and McLeod counties. Through a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota, Winthrop Telephone Company will offer broadband services at 1 Gbps symmetrical (upstream and downstream), exceeding the 2022 and 2026 state speed goals. This project will promote rural economic development and transform these unserved areas into highly-productive rural communities.
Total eligible project cost is $1,790,000
Local match is $1,074,000
Woodstock Telephone Company – Lynd FTTP – GRANT $325,548 (Lyon County)
This middle and last mile project will serve 203 underserved households, three underserved businesses and three underserved anchor institutions in the City of Lynd in Lyon County. In a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota, Woodstock Telephone Company will improve service levels to 1 Gbps down and 1 Gbps upload, exceeding the 2022 and 2026 state speed goals. The network will enable new business and employment in the community, increase educational opportunities and resources, provide increased access to health care resources and increase overall quality of life in the project area.
The Ely Timber Jay reports on a broadband feasibility study with a roadmap to better broadband in the area…
A roadmap to provide broadband level internet service to the Tower area was recently released by the Laurentian, Tower, and East Range (LTE) Broadband Group. The study’s conclusions show bringing broadband to the Tower area may be financially feasible for the priority areas of Pike Bay, Daisy Bay, and Eagles Nest, and expansion to a wider rural area encompassing the Tower School district boundaries could be possible, although additional financing and contributions from stakeholders might be required.
The study was funded with contributions by governmental units, local businesses, and a matching grant from the Blandin Foundation. The LTE Broadband Group, which has been working with funding and leadership from the Blandin Foundation and Iron Range Resources, and stakeholders from the East Range, Tower-Soudan, and Eveleth-Gilbert-Virginia areas commissioned the study last year. The group hired NEO Connect to conduct the study, which cost about $120,000.
Since the study was done, the federal funding may have changed the equation entirely…
John Bassing, who along with his wife JoAnn, has been an active participant in the broadband planning group, said that while the results of the study are promising, there is a possible complication. A company called LTD Broadband that has previously specialized in providing fixed wireless internet service, not fiber-optic-based services, received $312 million in funding from the Federal Communications Commission for projects in the state, the largest amount awarded in Minnesota.
“That Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) grant throws a wrench in the monkey-works,” said Bassing. “The company bid on providing service to census blocks, including those in our area.” LTD’s experience in Minnesota has been providing fixed wireless service in flat farmland areas, said Bassing. The company’s expertise to provide fiber optic service has been questioned, as well as whether it can provide the gigabyte level service that is the goal in Minnesota.
This leaves the area up in the air…
“Our next step is to attract a broadband provider,” said Bassing. “But DEED [Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development] is worried about the legal implications of giving out grants in the RDOF area.” DEED oversees the state’s Border to Border grant program, which is instrumental in funding rural broadband projects.
At this point, Bassing said, the project is on hold until some of these questions are resolved. …
Whether or not the state’s Border to Border program will be able to make grants to project in our area is uncertain at this time, Bassing said.
The article goes on to share important results from the study. Also they paint a picture of the predicament of many communities in Minnesota are living. Communities have been working on getting better broadband and are now holding their breath to see what happens with the RDOF funding for LTD Broadband. I’ve mentioned the issues with RDOF before – and the details above cover it as well. In short – federal funding did not take the local community into consideration.
Best case scenario, LTD will turn around and create an amazing FTTH network. That would be awesome. But even if they do, it’s a network that happens to a community not with and there’s a difference, especially to the communities that have been working on this. It’s awesome like when someone gives you a free dinner but less so if you don’t get to choose your meal.
Worst case scenario, the RDOF program resembles the CAF II federal funding programs where a few providers were given a lot of money to build better broadband (but only required to build to 25/3 and sometimes even lower than that) and several years to do it. Two of those providers in Minnesota have recently reported that they “may NOT have met” the most recent deadlines. That is where the concern comes in given LTD’s background in wireless but contact in FTTH. They are in line to be hired for something they aren’t known for doing. The concern is great enough that 151 Senators have asked the FCC to scrutinize the long form applications for RDOF funding. (LTD has “won” the sole ability to apply for funds in their areas but they have not yet been awarded the funds.)
The concerns here are multiple:
Concern that federal funds will be ill-spent
Concern that these areas will not qualify for other funding until RDOF payments are done (10 years)
The National Congress of American Indians of the United States have released recommendations for the Biden Administration to help the optimize the “opportunity to make meaningful advancements in the social and economic well-being of American Indians and Alaska Natives.” There are 25 areas of focus, each with background and recommendations. Broadband is included; they start with the description of need…
Tribal communities are disproportionately unserved or underserved when it comes to access to high-speed internet. According to a 2019 Federal Communications Commission (FCC) report, individuals residing on tribal lands are nearly 4.5 times as likely to lack any terrestrial broadband internet access as those on non-tribal lands. Even when examining fixed broadband deployment at speeds lower than the FCC’s definition of “broadband,” 25 percent of homes on tribal lands have no wired option for 10/1 Mbps service. By contrast, only 6 percent of homes on non-tribal lands lack coverage by any wired provider. Further, the Government Accountability Office and FCC agree that this available data overstates the extent of broadband access on tribal lands, meaning the true extent of the digital divide in Indian Country is even worse than FCC reports indicate.
A top priority is a Tribal Broadband Fund…
Congress must create a Tribal Broadband Fund in order to empower new market opportunities and direct spending in Indian Country for its highest and best purpose. In order to address the digital divide in Indian Country, Congress must also create an interagency committee with representation from the FCC’s Wireless and Wireline Bureaus, USDA’s Rural Utilities Service, DOC’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and DOI’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs to report on how to best coordinate federal resources from the various agencies to achieve broadband connectivity in Indian Country. This recommendation is consistent with the FCC’s National Broadband Plan, which recommends that “Congress should consider establishing a Tribal Broadband Fund to support sustainable broadband deployment and adoption on Tribal lands, and all federal agencies that upgrade connectivity on tribal lands should coordinate such upgrades with Tribal governments and the Tribal Broadband Fund grant-making process.”
There are thoughtful and detailed recommendations.
Recommend actions for the first 100 days:
Establish the Office of Native Affairs and Policy as an independent office at the FCC.
Include a permanent, dedicated budget request of $2 million in the FCC’s Annual Budget Request to Congress for FCC-ONAP to ensure the FCC’s commitment to consult with Tribal Nations is preserved and exercised.
Recommit to and further develop the FCC’s Consultation, Training, and Workshops.
Agency recommendations:
Federal Communications Commission
Establish a Tribal Broadband Fund within the Universal Service Fund (USF).
Repeal all “rurality” restrictions on FCC proceedings of tribal interest.
Increase Tribal Nations’ access to spectrum licenses.
Establish a “Tribal Priority” for E-rate funding.
Request Congress and the Administration to advocate for statutory changes to recognize tribal authority to designate what constitutes a “library” on tribal lands.
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Coordinate with the FCC to participate in its tribal consultation, training, and workshop engagement with Indian Country.
USDA should work with Congress to create “set-asides” in USDA programs for tribal broadband deployment, and expand the Substantially Underserved Trust Areas (SUTA) Provisions across the programs of Rural Development.
USDA should create “highest grant” attention and prioritizations for tribal applications in the Department’s Substantially Underserved Trust Areas (SUTA) Provisions within its programs.
U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC)
Make the “Native American Affairs Liaison” position permanent and establish an Office of Native Affairs and Policy to work directly with the Secretary of Commerce.
Recommendations for Administration
Support and preserve the ongoing work and directives of the White House Broadband Opportunity Council.
Further coordination between the Department of the Interior (DOI) and the Department of Education (ED).
The list, compiled by Livability with Fourth Economy, combined Livability’s 2020 Top 100 Best Places to Live rankings with indicators and data from Fourth Economy’s Community Index. Categories and amenities included broadband access, local jobs that could be done from home, affordability, a robust regional economy, and quality of life.
Duluth came in at No. 10 for its “unparalleled access to nature and outdoor recreation opportunities for every season. … Right after you close your laptop for the day, you can head outside and make the most of your prime location.”
Also…
Livability also recommends Duluth for its super-fast high-speed internet connections that can support three to four people at one time. “So if you’ve got roommates or a partner who’s also working from home, you won’t have to strategically stagger your video conference calls.”
I can’t believe they don’t even mention the amazing music that comes from that part of the world! I guess that’s icing.
Business Roundtable is urging the Biden-Harris Administration and Congress to quickly act this year on six urgent strategic priorities to boost U.S. technology and innovation leadership to strengthen our economy for the long term as we work to end the pandemic. In a set of recommendations released today, Business Roundtable CEOs detailed policy actions necessary to advance each of the following priorities:
Bridge the digital divide;
Protect consumer data privacy;
Fortify U.S. cyber defenses and trust in ICT supply chains;
Strengthen U.S. global leadership on data and technology policy;
Bolster federal R&D programs; and
Support access to and retention of global talent.
The Business Roundtable is “an association of chief executive officers of America’s leading companies working to promote a thriving U.S. economy and expanded opportunity for all Americans through sound public policy.” They focus on their business, employees and concerns of customers. It’s interesting to see what they list as top concern.
