Rank: 6
Code: Green
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Beltrami County well served thanks to Paul Bunyan

Beltrami has seen no improvement in service in the last year, but they were already better than 99 percent covered. Beltrami is the home county to Paul Bunyan Telephone, a cooperative that is focused on Gigabit service to their customers/stakeholders. They are lucky, having an engaged provider is the easiest way a community can improve broadband access.

FirstNet, a public safety network, has come to Beltrami. That might help extend cell coverage or create opportunities for redundancy.

Beltrami has a green ranking because they are more than 99 percent served. They might now focus on use. Beltrami was found to be one of the top 10 MN counties for highest digital equity needs, based on access to broadband, digital training and accommodations to increase access during COVID. And the computer numbers below indicate that they are below average for access to devices.

Broadband Access:

Computer Access:

Past Grants:

• 2020: Paul Bunyan received a MN Border to Border grant to bring fiber to the Leach Lake Indian Reservation and the southeast Beltrami.

Checklist:

• Find more articles on broadband in Beltrami County. (http://tinyurl.com/z5yvec6)
• 100/20 Mbps ranking: 6 (down 1)
• Has worked with Blandin: no
• Has received a MN Broadband grant: no
• Household density: 7.10

Details:

• Districts: CD 7 & 8
  Senate: 2, 5
  House: 02A, 05A
• 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)