Code: Green
Population: 3930
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Leech Lake Reservation has seen some success in deploying better broadband in the last year. They went from 65 percent access to speeds of 100 Mbps down and 20 up to almost 79 percent; and access to 25/3 went from almost 92 percent to 95.

Leech Lake has been focused on broadband for years. In the Summer of 2014, with support from the Blandin Foundation, Leech Lake started a 5-year plan to build a wireless network to serve homes on the reservation. In September 2018, Paul Bunyan Communications announced expansion of the Gigazone to the Leech Lake Reservation. Summer of 2020, Paul Bunyan announced another project, funding by a MN Border to Border grant to continue to expand the FTTH network. And Leech Lake announced plans to continue to pursue funding for continued expansion with Paul Bunyan.

Leech Lake worked on broadband adoption/digital inclusion projects with their involvement in MIRC, a Blandin Foundation initiative and precursor to the Blandin Broadband Communities. One project included digital inclusion training that led to job placement.

Leech Lake Reservation
(get 2020 map)

Map Key:

• Served: Green
• Underserved: Purple
• Unserved: Pink

I am doing the annual look at broadband in tribal areas – 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)