https://blandinonbroadband.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/infrastructure-grant-marshall_tcm1045-134149.pdf

Rank: 39
Code: Yellow
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Marshall County: incremental improvements fueled by MN grants

Marshall County ranks 39 for broadband access and 61for digital equity out of 87 counties. They have seen incremental progress since their big leap in access in 2018. They currently have 82.9 percent coverage in 2022. They have 755 households without access to broadband at that speed. Estimates indicate that it will cost $7 million to get to ubiquitous broadband in the county.

Marshall will benefit from two border to border awards announced in December 2022:

• Garden Valley Technologies – Rural Warren East & Rural Oslo – GRANT $1,462,569 (serves Marshall and Polk)
• Wikstrom Telephone Co. Inc – Wiktel NW MN Broadband 2022 – GRANT $665,699 (serves Kittson, Lake of the Woods, & Marshall)

Marshall County has seen consistent, incremental improvements in broadband coverage, and they have benefited grants almost every year grants were available. That trend has continued this year. Marshall has engaged providers. They have a history of consistent improvement. If they have an opportunity to invest federal funding into broadband; therefore they are code yellow.

Broadband Access:

Digital Equity:

Marshall County ranks 61 out of 87 for digital equity. (See full Digital Equity Profile)

Marshall County ranks 62 out of 87 for computer ownership. 89.1 percent of homes have a computer of device as compared to statewide ownership of 95.5 percent.

Past grants:

• MN State Grant awarded in 2021: Garden Valley Technologies – Northwest Thief River Falls and Euclid – GRANT $1,640,722 This middle and last mile project will serve 104 unserved and 22 underserved locations in portions of Marshall and Polk counties.

• 2017 – Wikstrom Telephone – Wiktel NW MN Broadband – GRANT $1,307,785
• 2016 – GARDEN VALLEY TELEPHONE COMPANY RURAL THIEF RIVER FALLS EAST – GRANT: $2,027,035
• 2016 – WIKSTROM TELEPHONE COMPANY (WITH BEAMCO, INC.) RURAL ALVARADO – GRANT: $43,481
• 2016 – WIKSTROM TELEPHONE COMPANY WIKTEL NW MN – GRANT: $950,823
• 2014 – Wikstrom Telephone, Kittson, Marshall, Roseau Broadband Extension – Award $425,000
• Wikstrom Telephone – Wiktel NW MN Broadband Project – GRANT $1,151,526

Checklist:

• Find more articles on broadband in Marshall County (http://tinyurl.com/zamfwj3)
• 100/20 Mbps ranking: 37 (up 7)
• Has worked with Blandin: no
• Has received a MN Broadband grant: yes
• Household density: 2.4

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)