Le Sueur County News covered the Broadband Fair in Le Sueur County. I wrote about it as well and have told the story of Le Sueur over several posts. But it’s great to see it in the local newspaper – and I wanted to include the comment from the frontline that caught my attention…

“I can walk to town faster than I can get a connection,” said Peterson.

And some info on the event…

Seeking to fix their internet woes, the Petersons and dozens of households went to the Le Sueur County Broadband Fair on Thursday. The Le Sueur County Fairgrounds gathering featured a variety of broadband providers and information on how residents could bring fiber to their doors.

“We know there are people who could get better service but don’t know who from. This has just been a terrific discussion,” said Le Sueur County Broadband Initiative Coordinator Barbara Droher-Kline. “One woman was here who knew she was two miles away from fiber and negotiating a 50/50 split with a provider. She might be able to get it this summer. That doesn’t happen a whole lot.”

Seeking federal funding

Le Sueur County is asking Senators Amy Klobuchar (DFL-MN) and Tina Smith (DFL-MN) to appropriate federal dollars to build fiber out to every household in the county. If successful, the proposal would require $12 million to build off existing fiber optic networks to all residences, farms, and businesses along all of the rural roads in the county, along 96 miles of state roads, 310 miles of township roads, and 486 miles of county roads.

The proposal includes Cleveland Township, Cordova Township, Elysian Township, Kasota Township, Kilkenny Township, Lexington Township, Montgomery Township, Ottawa Township, Sharon Township, Tyrone Township, Washington Township and Waterville Township.