Rank: 12
Code: Green
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)
Big Stone County: rank 12 and stuck on a plateau
Big Stone County ranks 12 for broadband access and 63 for digital equity out of 87 counties. They have hovered around 98 percent coverage to broadband of 100 Mbps down and 20 up since 2018. They have 87 households without access to broadband at that speed. Estimates indicate that it will cost $800,000 to get to ubiquitous broadband in the county.
| County | Housing Unit Density | Number of Housing Units | 100/20 Mbps | houses unserved | Cost to close the gap |
| Big Stone | 5.6 | 2,982 | 97.09 | 87 | $807,018.66 |
In 2018, after partnering with Federated Telephone Cooperative on a successful MN Border to Border grant, Big Stone County moved to top 10 ranking for access to 100/20 Mbps broadband. Their broadband access remains the same; their ranking slips only because other counties are doing even better.
Big Stone County ranks much higher for access to broadband (12) than digital equity (63). But they have spent the last year working as a Blandin Broadband Community (BBC), which should help build an interest in greater use and spur community engagement.
They receive a green code because they have over 99 percent covered and they need less than a million dollars to get to ubiquitous broadband.
Broadband Access:
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
| 100/20 (2026 goal) | 97.9 | 98.6 | 98.6 | 98.91 | 98.91 | 70.12 |
| 25/3 (2022 goal) | 97.17 | 99.48 | 99.48 | 99.58 | 98.91 | 70.12 |
Digital Equity:
Big Stone County ranks 63 out of 87 for digital equity. (See full Digital Equity Profile)
Big Stone County ranks 67 out of 87 for computer ownership. 91.5 percent of homes have a computer of device as compared to statewide ownership of 88.4 percent.
Past Grants:
- 2014 – Federated Telephone Cooperative, Big Stone County
Checklist:
- Find more articles on broadband in Big Stone County. (http://tinyurl.com/zfgwstd)
- 100/20 Mbps ranking: 12 (down 3)
- Has worked with Blandin: yes
- Has received a MN Broadband grant: yes
- Household density: 5.6
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 