Rank: 33
Code: Green
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Cook County: stalled with pretty good coverage

Cook County’s ranks dips from 26 to 33 for broadband access out of 87 counties. Cook County has had more than 90 percent broadband coverage at speeds of 100/20 Mbps since we started tracking progress, thanks to a federal ARRA funding in 2010.

Cook County has been so close for so long. However, there are reports on the impact of RDOF funded deployment. So despite the dip in ranking, Cook maintains a green rank.

• Over the years, Cook County (or cities within) has invested $8,000 (total) for matches for 1 successful MN Broadband grant. This is an indicator of local government that is engaged and (literally) invested in better, local broadband. (Cook also made a large investment in federal ARRA funds in 2010.)
• Cook County will not from a recent MN Broadband grant award.
• Cook County will not benefit from ant line extension awards.
• Last years’ estimates indicated that it would cost $4.5 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, Cook ranked 29 using Microsoft’s Digital Equity Tool, which looks at various factors of a community.
• WTIP reports that in 2023, Arrowhead Cooperative oversaw the installment of 19.3 miles of infrastructure.

Grants:

• 2010: Cook County formed a partnership with Arrowhead Electric Cooperative, which applied for and was awarded over $16 million in federal stimulus grants and low interest loans to build a fiber-to-the-home broadband network throughout Cook County.
• In addition, Cook County awarded Arrowhead Cooperative a $4 million grant from the 1% sales tax fund.

Find more articles on broadband in Cook County. (http://tinyurl.com/hgbzlt7)

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)