Rank: 85
Code: Red
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)
Redwood County: Hovering near the bottom of the ranking list
Redwood County has been working on broadband for many years; they were a Blandin Broadband Community in 2013. They have benefited from a few broadband grants, including the most recent round but they have a long way to go.
Redwood County will benefit from a MN State Grant awarded in 2021:
- Minnesota Valley Telephone Company (MVTC) – Rural Franklin Fiber Project – GRANT $226,800 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.
Projected allocation of American Recovery Project ARP funds in Redwood is $2,942,128; broadband is one possible use.
Redwood County might benefit from intervention, such as the Blandin Accelerate program, a process to spur community acquisition and deployment of federal and state broadband funds, to find an alternative solution. That might help them to invest the ARP funding in broadband. They are code red.
Broadband Access:
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
| 100/20 (2026 goal) | 40.04 | 36.48 | 33.56 | 33.56 | 34.37 |
| 25/3 (2022 goal) | 76.12 | 44.59 | 70.94 | 72.07 | 41.51 |
| County | Households with computer | …with desktop or laptop | …with ONLY smartphone | …with a tablet et al |
| State of MN | 93.6% | 80.6% | 7.7% | 63.8% |
| Redwood | 85 | 72.6 | 8 | 51.6 |
Past grants:
- 2017 – MVTC (Minnesota Valley Telephone Company, Inc.) – Milroy Broadband Project – GRANT $742,365
- 2016 – ARVIG – REDWOOD COUNTY TELEPHONE MIDDLE MILE FIBER EXTENSION – GRANT: $27,998
- 2015 – MVTV Wireless Middle Mile – Grant award: $808,080
- 2019: MVTC (Minnesota Valley Telephone Company, Inc.) – Rural Lucan Fiber Project – GRANT $635,400
Checklist:
- Redwood County has worked with the Blandin Foundation
- 100/20 Mbps ranking: 85 (up 1)
- Has worked with Blandin: yes
- Has received a MN Broadband grant: yes
- Household density: 6.74
Details:
- Districts: CD 7
Senate: 16, 22
House: 16A, 16B, 22B - 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)
Blandin on Broadband 