Rank: 68
Code:  Red
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Martin County: hoping new engagement spurs investment

Martin County ranks 71 for broadband access and 60 for digital equity out of 87 counties. They have hovered around 67 percent coverage to broadband of 100 Mbps down and 20 up since 2020. They have 3214 households without access to broadband at that speed. Estimates indicate that it will cost $29.9 million to get to ubiquitous broadband in the county.

Martin will benefit from a border to border grants announced in December 2022:

• Bevcomm – Rural Faribault and Martin Counties Fiber Expansion Project – Phase Three – GRANT $1,444,030 (serving Faribault and Martin Counties)

In July, the Ceylon City Council has given Federated Broadband $1 million in Community Development Block Grant/CARES for Fiber to the Home.

Hopefully, these projects will spur more momentum for better broadband but until there’s a greater demonstration of that, they stay at code red.

Broadband Access:

Digital Equity:

Martin County ranks 60 out of 87 for digital equity. (See full Digital Equity Profile)

Martin County ranks 45 out of 87 for computer ownership. 90.8 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: BEVCOMM (Blue Earth Valley Telephone Company, Easton Telephone Company & Cannon Valley Telecom) – Rural Faribault County and Martin County Fiber Expansion Phase 2 Project – GRANT $1,182,818 This last mile project will serve approximately two unserved households, 203 underserved households, 46 underserved businesses, and 181 underserved farms in portions of Faribault and Martin counties.

• 2017- BEVCOMM (Granada Telephone Company) — Granada Rural Final – GRANT: $202,410
• 2016 – GRANADA TELEPHONE COMPANY (DBA BEVCOMM) SOUTH RURAL GRANADA – GRANT:  $157,920
• 2016 – MARTIN COUNTY (WITH FRONTIER) RURAL BROADBAND INITIATIVE – GRANT: $1,677,823
• BEVCOMM (Blue Earth Valley Telephone Company & Easton Telephone Company) – Rural Faribault County Project – GRANT: $579,781

Checklist:

• Find more articles on broadband in Martin County (http://tinyurl.com/h37zf6l)
• 100/20 Mbps ranking: 71 (down 3)
• Has worked with Blandin: yes
• Has received a MN Broadband grant: yes
• Household density: 13.3

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)