Rank: 28
Code: Yellow
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Winona County: pretty good access and needs a push for ubiquitous

Winona County has been focused on broadband for years; they were part of the Minnesota Intelligent Rural Communities (MIRC) starting in 2010, a Blandin-led and federal (ARRA) funded broadband adoption project.

They have benefited from past grant funded projects and will benefit from a project that received MN Border to Border funding in the last round and have opted to use CARES funding to invest in broadband.

Winona County has allotted $1 million in CARES funding to pay for rural broadband expansion projects. Dakota County has earmarked $800,000 for its broadband expansion projects.

Winona County will benefit from a MN State Grant awarded in 2021:

• AcenTek – Rural Peterson Exchange FTTH – GRANT $1,492,096 This last mile project will serve 214 unserved households, 18 unserved businesses, 88 unserved farms, and two unserved community anchor institutions as well as 47 underserved households and five underserved businesses in areas of Fillmore and Winona counties.

Projected allocation of American Recovery Project ARP funds in Winona is $9,791,061; broadband is one possible use.

Winona County has the opportunity to invest in broadband with federal funding. That would help them reach ubiquitous broadband. They are a yellow code community.

Broadband Access:

Computer Access:

Past grants:

• 2016 – WINONA COUNTY PICKWICK AREA – GRANT: $416,640
• 2015 – Hiawatha Broadband Communications – Winona County Whitewater Area – Grant Award: $247,000
• 2015 – Winona County Hiawatha Broadband Communications – Cedar Valley Area – Grant award: $314,450
• 2019: AcenTek – Rural Houston Exchange FTTH – GRANT $2,895,318

Checklist:

• Find more articles on broadband in Winona County (http://tinyurl.com/hqsckxg)
• 100/20 Mbps ranking: 28 (down 4)
• Has worked with Blandin: yes
• Has received a MN Broadband grant: yes
• Household density: 31.36

Details:

• Districts: CD 7
  Senate: 21, 28
  House: 21B, 28A
• 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)