Rank: 70
Code: Yellow
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)
Sibley County: RS Fiber should extend to the whole county
Sibley County has been working on better broadband for more than 10 years. They are a part of the original RS Fiber team. They have been a Blandin Broadband Community. But their connectivity has been stagnant since 2018. In fact, the East Sibley School District decide to go in-person sooner than other schools and mentioned poor broadband as a reason.
Sibley County will benefit from a MN State Grant awarded in 2021:
- Winthrop Telephone Company, Inc. – Bismarck & Transit Township FTTP Project – GRANT $716,000 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
Projected allocation of American Recovery Project ARP funds in Sibley is $2,882,975; broadband is one possible use.
Sibley County has the opportunity to invest in broadband with federal funding. That would help them reach ubiquitous broadband. They just need to show the determination they had when RS Fiber was formed. They are a code yellow community.
Broadband Access:
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
| 100/20 (2026 goal) | 65.29 | 62.86 | 62.87 | 62.84 | 51.01 |
| 25/3 (2022 goal) | 70.05 | 74.29 | 73.59 | 63.47 | 71.27 |
| 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% |
| Sibley | 86.6 | 72.3 | 7.7 | 53.2 |
Past grants
- 2017 – Winthrop Telephone Company, Inc. – Cornish Township FTTP Project – GRANT $365,895
- 2015 – MVTV Wireless Middle Mile – Grant award: $808,080
- 2014 – R-S Fiber Cooperative, FTTH Project – Award: $1 million.
Checklist:
- Find more articles on broadband in Sibley County (https://blandinonbroadband.org/?s=sibley&submit=Search)
- 100/20 Mbps ranking: 70 (down 21)
- Has worked with Blandin: yes
- Has received a MN Broadband grant: yes
- Household density: 9.78
Details:
- Districts: CD 6
Senate: 14, 15, 30, 31
House: 14B, 15A, 15B, 30A, 31A - 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 