Rank: 42
Code: Yellow
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Kittson County: incremental increases continue

Kittson County has seen small increases in access over the last three years. But they will benefit from a few MN State Grants awarded in 2021:

• Wikstrom Telephone Co. Inc. – Wiktel NW MN Broadband 2020 – GRANT $490,997 The last mile project will serve 153 unserved locations in sparsely populated areas in Kittson, Marshal and Polk counties.

Projected allocation of American Recovery Project ARP funds in Benton is $7,930,170; broadband is one possible use.

There is the potential for an influx of funding for broadband. It could be an opportunity for Kittson to get to ubiquitous broadband. For now they stay at code yellow – and without the grant from Wikstrom they might have gone to red.

Broadband Access:

Computer Access:

Past grants:

• 2017 – Wikstrom Telephone – Wiktel NW MN Broadband – GRANT $1,307,785
• 2016 – WIKSTROM TELEPHONE COMPANY WIKTEL NW MN – GRANT: $950,823
• 2014 – Wikstrom Telephone, Kittson, Marshall, Roseau Broadband Extension – Award $425,000
• 2019 Wikstrom Telephone – Wiktel NW MN Broadband Project – GRANT $1,151,526

Checklist:

• Find more articles on broadband in Kittson. (https://bit.ly/2kcNnpz)
• 100/20 Mbps ranking: 42 (down 7)
• Has worked with Blandin: no
• Has received a MN Broadband grant: yes
• Household density: 1.52

Details:

• Districts: CD 7
  Senate: 01
  House: 01A
• 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)