Rank: 81
Code:  Red
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Murray County: getting state and local investment just need more

Murray County ranks 81 for broadband access out of 87 counties. They 55.9 percent coverage to broadband of 100 Mbps down and 20 up. They have 1946 households without access to broadband at that speed. Estimates indicate that it will cost $18 million to get to ubiquitous broadband in the county.

Murray County have hovered around 50 percent coverage to broadband of 100 Mbps down and 20 up since we started tracking. In 2018, with support from the Blandin Foundation, released a feasibility study that was not promising; it indicated that it is not economically feasible to build fiber everywhere. Subsequently, they are left looking at hybrid models, trying to convince the state to increase the 50 percent match or find another solution. Last summer (2022), the county committed $500,000 to support the broadband project that ended up receiving a border to border grant.

They may be concerned about being in a potentially precarious position because looking at access in the County using the FCC National Map there is a big discrepancy between wireline access (53.44 percent coverage) and wireline with fixed wireless (98.05 percent). Minnesota doesn’t currently take fixed wireless into consideration when defining areas eligible for grants; the federal government does include access to fixed wireless. That could make a big difference to who is eligible for BEAD funding.

In December 2022, Woodstock Telephone was awarded $1.3 million to serve 201 unserved households, 29 unserved businesses, and 57 unserved farms as well as 16 underserved farms, 8 underserved businesses, and 58 underserved residences in Murray County.

Murray County holds onto its red ranking.

Past grants

• 2022: Woodstock Telephone Company – Lake Sarah Township FTTP – GRANT $1,333,199

• 2015 – MVTV Wireless Middle Mile – Grant award: $808,080
• Lismore Cooperative Telephone Company (Lismore Broadband) – Iona FTTP – GRANT  $219,714 This last mile and middle mile project will serve approximately 100 unserved locations including 75 households, nine businesses, 13 farms, and three community institutions within the town of Iona.

• MN State Grants awarded in 2021: Lismore Cooperative Telephone Company (Lismore Broadband) – Iona FTTP – GRANT  $219,714 This last mile and middle mile project will serve approximately 100 unserved locations including 75 households, nine businesses, 13 farms, and three community institutions within the town of Iona.

Find more articles on broadband in Murray County (http://tinyurl.com/j9sr5gf)

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.