Rank: 16
Code: Green
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Benton County: so close after steady progress for years

Benton County’s rank bumps up to 16 from 20 for broadband after a nice climb from 25 last year. They hovered around 89 percent coverage to broadband of 100 Mbps down and 20 up since 2019 but this year they broke through to almost 98 percent!

Benton County gets a green ranking because they are so close to the goal and seem to have built momentum to getting it done.

• Over the years, Benton County (or cities within) has invested $ 1,154,008 (total) for matches for 4 successful MN Broadband grants. This is an indicator of local government that is engaged and (literally) invested in better, local broadband.
• Benton County will not benefit from a recent MN Broadband grant.
• Benton County will not benefit from line extension awards.
• Last years’ estimates indicated that it would cost $7 million to get ubiquitous broadband in the county. (I haven’t updated the number because recent report offers scenarios of costs based on BEAD funding rules that make current estimates less predictable than in the past. Yet, I think the number is still helpful.)
• In 2022, Benton ranked 30 using Microsoft’s Digital Equity Tool, which looks at various factors of a community.

Broadband Access:

Past Grants:

• 2023:  Cooperative Telephone – Benton County South of Trunk Highway 23 – GRANT $2,988,275
• 2017 – Benton Cooperative Telephone Company – Rice Ramey – GRANT $765,015
• 2017 – Palmer Wireless – Duelm Hwy 95 – GRANT $162,814
• 2014-CenturyLink Foley, Benton County–Balkan Township – Award: $382,883.
• 2020: Benton Cooperative Telephone Company – Ramey Phase I – GRANT $936,759
• Benton Cooperative Telephone Company – Ramey Phase 2 Project – GRANT $338,011

Find more articles on broadband in Benton County (https://blandinonbroadband.org/?s=benton+county&submit=Search)

The maps below on the left comes from the Office of Broadband Development interactive map, reflecting data updated on December 16, 2024. Red dots represent locations unserved locations. Above I have tracked wireline access because that is the Minnesota definition of broadband. The info below includes wired and wireless. BEAD includes fixed wireless connections as served locations. (I wrote more on the distinction between the two last year, which may be if interest in the numbers range greatly for your county.)

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)