Rank: 36
Code:  Yellow
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Houston County: incremental change

Houston County ranks 46 (down 10 places) for broadband access out of 87 counties. Houston has slow incremental growth in broadband over the years. Not much seems to have happened in 2024, but Mayo Clinic Partners with Zipline to bring drone medication delivery to Houston, Jacksonville and Rochester, Minnesota.

With slow progress, Houston County receives a yellow ranking.

• Over the years, Houston County (or cities within) has invested $75,000 (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.
• Houston County will not benefit from a 2024 MN Broadband grant.
• Houston County not will benefit from any line extension awards.
• Last years’ estimates indicated that it would cost $10.5 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, Houston ranked 19 using Microsoft’s Digital Equity Tool, which looks at various factors of a community.
• Houston benefitted from ReConnect funding in 2023.

Past Grants:

• 2022: The investment, provided through the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s ReConnect program, will help connect over 6,000 people, 150 businesses, and 680 farms across Freeborn, Morrison, Stearns, Houston, and Todd counties.

• 2019: AcenTek – Rural Houston Exchange FTTH – GRANT $2,895,318

Find more articles on broadband in Houston County. (http://tinyurl.com/zst4kf5)

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)