The FCC has just released the latest edition of the Annual Broadband Deployment Report…
The Federal Communications Commission today
released its annual Broadband Deployment Report, which shows that significant progress has been made to bridge the digital divide. For example, the gap between urban and rural Americans with access to 25/3 Mbps fixed broadband service has been nearly halved, falling from 30 percentage points at the end of 2016 to just 16 points at the end of 2019. Additionally, more than three-quarters of those Americans in areas newly served in 2019—nearly 3.7 million—live in rural areas, bringing the number of rural Americans in areas served by at least 25/3 Mbps broadband service to nearly 83%, up 15 points since 2016. The report showed an
overall decrease of more than 20% in the number of Americans without access to 25/3 Mbps broadband service since last year’s report, from more than 18.1 million at the end of 2018 to fewer than 14.5 million at the end of 2019.
The FCC has determined that they have done a good job…
Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 requires that the FCC determine annually whether advanced telecommunications capability is being deployed to all Americans “in a reasonable and timely fashion.” Given the compelling evidence before it, the 2021 report finds
for a third consecutive year that deployment is occurring in a reasonable and timely manner. Nonetheless, the Commission continues its work to close the digital divide with the upcoming 5G Fund auction and the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase II auction.
Here’s the summary for Minnesota:
And a look at how those 25/3 numbers look when you add wireless coverage to the mix:
They have a lot of detailed national tables, I’m including a high level look…
And I’ve tried to pull out the Minnesota info. It’s nice to see that Minnesota is well above average for 25/3 but the Minnesota state goal is 100/20!
Deployment of Fixed Terrestrial Fixed 25/3 Mbps and Mobile 4G LTE with a Minimum Advertised Speed of 5/1 Mbps Services By State and County (December 31, 2019)[1]
| State, County or County Equivalent | Pop. Eval. | % of Pop. with Fixed 25/ 3 Mbps |
% of Pop. with Mobile 5/ 1 Mbps |
% of Pop. with Fixed & Mobile | Pop. Density | Per Capita Income ($2018) |
| Minnesota | 5,639,445 | 97.5% | 100.0% | 97.5% | 70.8 | $37,192 |
| Aitkin County | 15,886 | 72.2% | 100.0% | 72.2% | 8.7 | $27,646 |
| Anoka County | 356,909 | 99.2% | 100.0% | 99.2% | 843.7 | $35,806 |
| Becker County | 34,422 | 94.2% | 100.0% | 94.2% | 26.2 | $29,710 |
| Beltrami County | 47,182 | 99.3% | 99.5% | 98.8% | 18.8 | $24,781 |
| Benton County | 40,887 | 92.6% | 100.0% | 92.6% | 100.1 | $28,566 |
| Big Stone County | 4,991 | 93.5% | 100.0% | 93.5% | 10.0 | $30,489 |
| Blue Earth County | 67,650 | 99.2% | 100.0% | 99.2% | 90.5 | $28,824 |
| Brown County | 25,008 | 97.8% | 100.0% | 97.8% | 40.9 | $30,373 |
| Carlton County | 35,871 | 77.3% | 100.0% | 77.3% | 41.6 | $28,117 |
| Carver County | 105,081 | 99.9% | 100.0% | 99.9% | 296.6 | $45,637 |
| Cass County | 29,778 | 89.7% | 100.0% | 89.7% | 14.7 | $29,053 |
| Chippewa County | 11,800 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 20.3 | $30,168 |
| Chisago County | 56,564 | 92.1% | 100.0% | 92.1% | 136.3 | $33,927 |
| Clay County | 64,221 | 98.5% | 100.0% | 98.5% | 61.4 | $29,631 |
| Clearwater County | 8,817 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 8.8 | $26,173 |
| Cook County | 5,463 | 98.5% | 92.9% | 92.2% | 3.8 | $32,703 |
| Cottonwood County | 11,196 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 17.5 | $27,209 |
| Crow Wing County | 65,055 | 95.1% | 100.0% | 95.1% | 65.1 | $30,900 |
| Dakota County | 429,016 | 99.9% | 100.0% | 99.9% | 763.1 | $40,441 |
| Dodge County | 20,932 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 47.7 | $32,795 |
| Douglas County | 38,140 | 99.7% | 100.0% | 99.7% | 59.8 | $34,547 |
| Faribault County | 13,653 | 98.5% | 100.0% | 98.5% | 19.2 | $29,748 |
| Fillmore County | 21,067 | 96.6% | 99.6% | 96.2% | 24.5 | $29,440 |
| Freeborn County | 30,281 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 42.8 | $28,459 |
| Goodhue County | 46,340 | 99.7% | 100.0% | 99.7% | 61.2 | $33,400 |
| Grant County | 5,972 | 99.0% | 100.0% | 99.0% | 10.9 | $31,940 |
| Hennepin County | 1,265,838 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 2,286.6 | $43,976 |
| Houston County | 18,600 | 90.7% | 99.7% | 90.5% | 33.7 | $31,453 |
| Hubbard County | 21,491 | 98.1% | 100.0% | 98.1% | 23.2 | $29,312 |
| Isanti County | 40,591 | 81.3% | 100.0% | 81.3% | 93.1 | $32,008 |
| Itasca County | 45,130 | 94.4% | 100.0% | 94.4% | 16.9 | $28,636 |
| Jackson County | 9,846 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 14.0 | $33,358 |
| Kanabec County | 16,334 | 63.2% | 100.0% | 63.2% | 31.3 | $27,331 |
| Kandiyohi County | 43,194 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 54.2 | $30,217 |
| Kittson County | 4,298 | 71.8% | 100.0% | 71.8% | 3.9 | $29,946 |
| Koochiching County | 12,229 | 82.3% | 100.0% | 82.3% | 3.9 | $29,051 |
| Lac qui Parle County | 6,623 | 99.4% | 100.0% | 99.4% | 8.7 | $31,686 |
| Lake County | 10,641 | 91.7% | 99.7% | 91.6% | 5.0 | $33,602 |
| Lake of the Woods County | 3,740 | 60.7% | 99.4% | 60.7% | 2.9 | $26,526 |
| Le Sueur County | 28,871 | 99.7% | 100.0% | 99.7% | 64.3 | $32,120 |
| Lincoln County | 5,639 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 10.5 | $28,504 |
| Lyon County | 25,474 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 35.6 | $30,531 |
| Mahnomen County | 5,527 | 92.8% | 100.0% | 92.8% | 9.9 | $20,953 |
| Marshall County | 9,336 | 81.1% | 100.0% | 81.1% | 5.3 | $29,670 |
| Martin County | 19,683 | 99.4% | 100.0% | 99.4% | 27.6 | $31,091 |
| McLeod County | 35,893 | 98.4% | 100.0% | 98.4% | 73.0 | $31,723 |
| Meeker County | 23,222 | 96.5% | 100.0% | 96.5% | 38.2 | $31,819 |
| Mille Lacs County | 26,275 | 76.9% | 100.0% | 76.9% | 45.9 | $26,679 |
| Morrison County | 33,384 | 91.3% | 100.0% | 91.3% | 29.7 | $28,792 |
| Mower County | 40,061 | 99.9% | 100.0% | 99.9% | 56.3 | $29,116 |
| Murray County | 8,194 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 11.6 | $31,768 |
| Nicollet County | 34,274 | 95.3% | 100.0% | 95.3% | 76.4 | $31,225 |
| Nobles County | 21,629 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 30.2 | $25,554 |
| Norman County | 6,375 | 97.6% | 100.0% | 97.6% | 7.3 | $28,351 |
| Olmsted County | 158,280 | 99.9% | 100.0% | 99.9% | 242.3 | $39,667 |
| Otter Tail County | 58,746 | 98.7% | 100.0% | 98.7% | 29.8 | $30,846 |
| Pennington County | 14,119 | 98.7% | 100.0% | 98.7% | 22.9 | $30,625 |
| Pine County | 29,578 | 67.6% | 100.0% | 67.6% | 21.0 | $25,302 |
| Pipestone County | 9,123 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 19.6 | $29,716 |
| Polk County | 31,364 | 99.5% | 100.0% | 99.5% | 15.9 | $28,856 |
| Pope County | 11,247 | 99.5% | 100.0% | 99.5% | 16.8 | $32,943 |
| Ramsey County | 550,321 | 99.9% | 100.0% | 99.9% | 3,615.5 | $34,049 |
| Red Lake County | 4,052 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 9.4 | $29,731 |
| Redwood County | 15,170 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 17.3 | $28,011 |
| Renville County | 14,548 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 14.8 | $31,585 |
| Rice County | 66,963 | 99.0% | 100.0% | 99.0% | 135.1 | $29,767 |
| Rock County | 9,315 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 19.3 | $30,544 |
| Roseau County | 15,164 | 78.9% | 100.0% | 78.9% | 9.1 | $28,049 |
| Scott County | 148,995 | 99.3% | 100.0% | 99.3% | 418.0 | $39,952 |
| Sherburne County | 97,231 | 94.0% | 100.0% | 94.0% | 224.6 | $34,013 |
| Sibley County | 14,865 | 99.4% | 100.0% | 99.4% | 25.2 | $30,977 |
| St. Louis County | 199,070 | 89.0% | 99.9% | 89.0% | 31.9 | $30,321 |
| Stearns County | 161,073 | 96.2% | 100.0% | 96.2% | 119.9 | $29,815 |
| Steele County | 36,649 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 85.3 | $30,822 |
| Stevens County | 9,805 | 99.0% | 100.0% | 99.0% | 17.4 | $31,694 |
| Swift County | 9,266 | 99.9% | 100.0% | 99.9% | 12.5 | $30,208 |
| Todd County | 24,661 | 79.9% | 100.0% | 79.9% | 26.1 | $25,848 |
| Traverse County | 3,259 | 97.6% | 100.0% | 97.6% | 5.7 | $30,553 |
| Wabasha County | 21,627 | 99.4% | 99.5% | 98.9% | 41.4 | $33,664 |
| Wadena County | 13,682 | 97.1% | 100.0% | 97.1% | 25.5 | $24,864 |
| Waseca County | 18,612 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 44.0 | $28,067 |
| Washington County | 262,419 | 98.3% | 100.0% | 98.3% | 682.9 | $43,789 |
| Watonwan County | 10,897 | 99.6% | 100.0% | 99.6% | 25.1 | $27,772 |
| Wilkin County | 6,207 | 99.6% | 100.0% | 99.6% | 8.3 | $32,066 |
| Winona County | 50,484 | 99.9% | 99.6% | 99.5% | 80.6 | $28,689 |
| Wright County | 138,370 | 96.2% | 100.0% | 96.2% | 209.2 | $34,325 |
| Yellow Medicine County | 9,709 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 12.8 | $29,379 |
Deployment of Fixed Terrestrial Fixed 25/3 Mbps and Mobile 4G LTE with a Minimum Advertised Speed of 5/1 Mbps Services By State and County
Segmented by Urban and Rural Areas (December 31, 2019)[1]
| Urban Areas | Rural Areas | |||||||
| County or County Equivalent | Pop. Eval. | % of Pop. with Fixed 25/3 Mbps | % of Pop. with Mobile 5/1 Mbps | % of Pop. with Both | Pop. Eval. | % of Pop. with Fixed 25/3 Mbps | % of Pop. with Mobile 5/1 Mbps | % of Pop. with Both |
| Minnesota | 4,128,809 | 99.8% | 100.0% | 99.8% | 1,510,636 | 91.4% | 99.9% | 91.3% |
| Aitkin County | 15,886 | 72.2% | 100.0% | 72.2% | ||||
| Anoka County | 304,638 | 99.7% | 100.0% | 99.7% | 52,271 | 96.8% | 100.0% | 96.8% |
| Becker County | 8,099 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 26,323 | 92.4% | 100.0% | 92.4% |
| Beltrami County | 14,985 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 32,197 | 99.0% | 99.3% | 98.3% |
| Benton County | 23,708 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 17,179 | 82.3% | 100.0% | 82.3% |
| Big Stone County | 4,991 | 93.5% | 100.0% | 93.5% | ||||
| Blue Earth County | 48,100 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 19,550 | 97.3% | 100.0% | 97.3% |
| Brown County | 15,947 | 99.0% | 100.0% | 99.0% | 9,061 | 95.7% | 100.0% | 95.7% |
| Carlton County | 15,761 | 97.6% | 100.0% | 97.6% | 20,110 | 61.4% | 100.0% | 61.4% |
| Carver County | 81,185 | 99.9% | 100.0% | 99.9% | 23,896 | 99.6% | 100.0% | 99.6% |
| Cass County | 29,778 | 89.7% | 100.0% | 89.7% | ||||
| Chippewa County | 5,681 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 6,119 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Chisago County | 24,580 | 99.4% | 100.0% | 99.4% | 31,984 | 86.5% | 100.0% | 86.5% |
| Clay County | 44,115 | 99.1% | 100.0% | 99.1% | 20,106 | 97.0% | 100.0% | 97.0% |
| Clearwater County | 8,817 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | ||||
| Cook County | 5,463 | 98.5% | 92.9% | 92.2% | ||||
| Cottonwood County | 3,993 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 7,203 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Crow Wing County | 23,809 | 99.6% | 100.0% | 99.6% | 41,246 | 92.5% | 100.0% | 92.5% |
| Dakota County | 405,337 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 23,679 | 99.5% | 100.0% | 99.5% |
| Dodge County | 9,876 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 11,056 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Douglas County | 17,037 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 21,103 | 99.4% | 100.0% | 99.4% |
| Faribault County | 2,785 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 10,868 | 98.1% | 100.0% | 98.1% |
| Fillmore County | 1,396 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 19,671 | 96.4% | 99.5% | 95.9% |
| Freeborn County | 16,945 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 13,336 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Goodhue County | 24,222 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 22,118 | 99.4% | 100.0% | 99.4% |
| Grant County | 5,972 | 99.0% | 100.0% | 99.0% | ||||
| Hennepin County | 1,234,251 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 31,587 | 99.8% | 100.0% | 99.8% |
| Houston County | 7,834 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 10,766 | 84.0% | 99.5% | 83.6% |
| Hubbard County | 3,429 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 18,062 | 97.7% | 100.0% | 97.7% |
| Isanti County | 14,717 | 99.1% | 100.0% | 99.1% | 25,874 | 71.2% | 100.0% | 71.2% |
| Itasca County | 9,233 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 35,897 | 93.0% | 100.0% | 93.0% |
| Jackson County | 2,745 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 7,101 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Kanabec County | 3,351 | 96.8% | 100.0% | 96.8% | 12,983 | 54.5% | 100.0% | 54.5% |
| Kandiyohi County | 23,590 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 19,604 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Kittson County | 4,298 | 71.8% | 100.0% | 71.8% | ||||
| Koochiching County | 6,379 | 99.1% | 100.0% | 99.1% | 5,850 | 64.0% | 100.0% | 64.0% |
| Lac qui Parle County | 6,623 | 99.4% | 100.0% | 99.4% | ||||
| Lake County | 3,522 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 7,119 | 87.7% | 99.6% | 87.5% |
| Lake of the Woods County | 3,740 | 60.7% | 99.4% | 60.7% | ||||
| Le Sueur County | 10,583 | 99.9% | 100.0% | 99.9% | 18,288 | 99.6% | 100.0% | 99.6% |
| Lincoln County | 5,639 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | ||||
| Lyon County | 12,829 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 12,645 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Mahnomen County | 5,527 | 92.8% | 100.0% | 92.8% | ||||
| Marshall County | 9,336 | 81.1% | 100.0% | 81.1% | ||||
| Martin County | 8,763 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 10,920 | 98.9% | 100.0% | 98.9% |
| McLeod County | 18,996 | 96.9% | 100.0% | 96.9% | 16,897 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Meeker County | 7,848 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 15,374 | 94.7% | 100.0% | 94.7% |
| Mille Lacs County | 7,454 | 99.4% | 100.0% | 99.4% | 18,821 | 68.0% | 100.0% | 68.0% |
| Morrison County | 8,853 | 99.4% | 100.0% | 99.4% | 24,531 | 88.4% | 100.0% | 88.4% |
| Mower County | 25,277 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 14,784 | 99.8% | 100.0% | 99.8% |
| Murray County | 8,194 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | ||||
| Nicollet County | 24,434 | 96.1% | 100.0% | 96.1% | 9,840 | 93.2% | 100.0% | 93.2% |
| Nobles County | 12,281 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 9,348 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Norman County | 6,375 | 97.6% | 100.0% | 97.6% | ||||
| Olmsted County | 127,419 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 30,861 | 99.6% | 100.0% | 99.6% |
| Otter Tail County | 15,213 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 43,533 | 98.2% | 100.0% | 98.2% |
| Pennington County | 8,835 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 5,284 | 96.6% | 100.0% | 96.6% |
| Pine County | 3,091 | 96.7% | 100.0% | 96.7% | 26,487 | 64.1% | 100.0% | 64.1% |
| Pipestone County | 3,706 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 5,417 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Polk County | 15,820 | 99.9% | 100.0% | 99.9% | 15,544 | 99.0% | 100.0% | 99.0% |
| Pope County | 11,247 | 99.5% | 100.0% | 99.5% | ||||
| Ramsey County | 549,150 | 99.9% | 100.0% | 99.9% | 1,171 | 99.5% | 100.0% | 99.5% |
| Red Lake County | 4,052 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | ||||
| Redwood County | 4,260 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 10,910 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Renville County | 14,548 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | ||||
| Rice County | 48,679 | 98.6% | 100.0% | 98.6% | 18,284 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Rock County | 4,224 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 5,091 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Roseau County | 2,424 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 12,740 | 74.9% | 100.0% | 74.9% |
| Scott County | 121,055 | 99.7% | 100.0% | 99.7% | 27,940 | 97.6% | 100.0% | 97.6% |
| Sherburne County | 53,225 | 99.6% | 100.0% | 99.6% | 44,006 | 87.4% | 100.0% | 87.4% |
| Sibley County | 14,865 | 99.4% | 100.0% | 99.4% | ||||
| St. Louis County | 124,539 | 99.5% | 100.0% | 99.5% | 74,531 | 71.6% | 99.9% | 71.5% |
| Stearns County | 98,473 | 99.8% | 100.0% | 99.8% | 62,600 | 90.7% | 100.0% | 90.7% |
| Steele County | 25,120 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 11,529 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Stevens County | 4,995 | 99.7% | 100.0% | 99.7% | 4,810 | 98.3% | 100.0% | 98.3% |
| Swift County | 2,818 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 6,448 | 99.8% | 100.0% | 99.8% |
| Todd County | 4,876 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 19,785 | 74.9% | 100.0% | 74.9% |
| Traverse County | 3,259 | 97.6% | 100.0% | 97.6% | ||||
| Wabasha County | 7,501 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 14,126 | 99.1% | 99.3% | 98.3% |
| Wadena County | 4,363 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 9,319 | 95.8% | 100.0% | 95.8% |
| Waseca County | 9,205 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 9,407 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Washington County | 218,979 | 98.8% | 100.0% | 98.8% | 43,440 | 95.8% | 100.0% | 95.8% |
| Watonwan County | 4,276 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 6,621 | 99.4% | 100.0% | 99.4% |
| Wilkin County | 2,899 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 3,308 | 99.3% | 100.0% | 99.3% |
| Winona County | 33,069 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 17,415 | 99.7% | 98.9% | 98.6% |
| Wright County | 90,431 | 99.8% | 100.0% | 99.8% | 47,939 | 89.4% | 100.0% | 89.4% |
| Yellow Medicine County | 1,596 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 8,113 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Blandin on Broadband 