Rank: 18
Code:  Green
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Dakota County: always getting closer

Dakota County ranks 18 (down three) for broadband access out of 87 counties. They have hovered around 97 percent coverage to broadband of 100 Mbps down and 20 up since 2019.

While the Dakota County broadband board was dissolved in January 2024, staff continue to work on broadband use and deployment. Also Spectrum announced Gigabit service in the county in October 2024.

• Over the years, Dakota County (or cities within) has invested $106,538 (total) for matches for 2 successful MN Broadband grants. This is an indicator of local government that is engaged and (literally) invested in better, local broadband.
• Dakota County will not benefit from a recent MN Broadband grant.
• Dakota County will benefit from 17 line extension awards (Rounds 1 and 2), which extend broadband to individual locations.
• Last years’ estimates indicated that it would cost $33.8 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, Dakota ranked 1 using Microsoft’s Digital Equity Tool, which looks at various factors of a community.

Past Grants:

• 2022: JTN Communications, $113,076.00
• 2022: Spectrum Mid-America, LLC managed by Charter Communications Inc., $98,750.00

• 2020: Charter Communications – Rosemount North Project – GRANT $499,072
• 2020: Dakota County approved $800,000 in CARES Act funding for broadband.
• Nuvera Communications, Inc. – Webster Rural FTTP – GRANT $431,260 This last mile project will serve 103 unserved and 178 underserved locations in Wheatland and Webster townships in Rice County, Eureka and Greenvale townships in Dakota County, and New Market and Cedar Lake townships in Scott County.

Find more articles on broadband in Dakota County. (http://tinyurl.com/hxslue9)

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)