Rank: 87
Code: Red
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Kanabec County: ranking last due to barriers

Kanabec County continues to hole rank 87 for broadband access out of 87 counties. Kanabec has 20.45 percent coverage to broadband of 100 Mbps down and 20 up. They have 5853 households without access to broadband at that speed. Estimates indicate that it will cost $54.4 million to get to ubiquitous broadband in the county.

Kanabec remains at the bottom of the ranking with less than 25 percent coverage to broadband of 100 Mbps down and 20 up. Their access has decreased last year, which probably reflected an increased granularity of reporting within a margin of error.  It decreased again this year likely due to map challenges or corrections.

In December 2022, East Central Energy was awarded three Border to Border grants that could help close the broadband gap in Kanabec:

• 2022: East Central Energy – Isanti North – GRANT $5,000,000 to reach 1,988 unserved and underserved households and 142 unserved and underserved businesses, 353 Unserved and underserved farms, and 3 unserved and underserved community anchor institutions in Kanabec and Isanti Counties
• 2022: East Central Energy – Kanabec Central – GRANT $4,403,000 to serve approximately 2,145 households and 136 businesses, 280 farms, and 2 community anchor institutions, currently unserved and underserved in Kanabec and Pine Counties
• 2022: East Central Energy – Pine South – GRANT $4,750,000 to serve approximately 2,082 households, 122 businesses, 329 farms and 2 community anchor institutions currently unserved and underserved in Pine and Kanabec Counties

East Central Energy is giving Kanabec a lot of hope and the relationship will serve the community well when looking at applying for federal (BEAD) funding through the Office of Development but with less than 25 percent coverage, they retain their red ranking.

Broadband Access:

Grants:

• 2022: East Central Energy – Isanti North – GRANT $5,000,000
• 2022: East Central Energy – Kanabec Central – GRANT $4,403,000
• 2022: East Central Energy – Pine South – GRANT $4,750,000
• 2016 – BENTON COOPERATIVE TELEPHONE COMPANY BOCK – GRANT: $510,000

Checklist:

• Find more articles on broadband in Kanabec County. (http://tinyurl.com/gvyes6n)

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)

The maps below on the left comes from the Office of Broadband Development interactive map, reflecting data updated on Oct 31, 2023. Red dots represent locations unserved with wireline broadband; the Orange dots represent underserved locations. The map on the right comes from the FCC National Broadband map showing access to wired and licensed fixed wireless access, the darker the color, the greater percentage of broadband coverage.