Rank: 79
Code: Yellow
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Isanti County: a nice increase in 2023 and 2024

Isanti County ranks 79 (up 5 places) for broadband access out of 87 counties. Isanti County had been hovering at about 50 percent coverage to broadband of 100 Mbps down and 20 up since 2017. They saw some increase in the last two years.

Isanti County is served by one large national provider. That may be a bottleneck to better access in those areas, because a lack of competition can impact the drive for improvement. However, there is a new cooperative in the area (ECE) that is starting to deploy service in the area.

Isanti gets a yellow ranking – but it seems to be turning greener as they get closer to goal of ubiquitous coverage.

• Over the years, Isanti County (or cities within) has invested $242,000 (total) for matches for 3 successful MN Broadband grants. This is an indicator of local government that is engaged and (literally) invested in better, local broadband.
• Isanti County will benefit from three 2024 MN Broadband grant awards:
  $3.3 million that will serve 509 locations in Isanti, Kanabec and Mille Lacs Counties,
  $3,267,902 that will serve 659 locations in Isanti, Kanabec and Mille Lacs Counties and
  $4,885,809 that will serve 1479 locations in Isanti, Kanabec and Mille Lacs Counties.
• Isanti County will not benefit from any line extension awards.
• Last years’ estimates indicated that it would cost $66.6 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, Isanti ranked 45 using Microsoft’s Digital Equity Tool, which looks at various factors of a community.
• In December 2022, Midcontinent received $1.6 million in a Border to Border grant to serve 545 unserved and underserved households and 17 unserved and underserved businesses, farms and community anchor institutions in portions of Isanti County and East Central Energy received $5 million to serve approximately 1,988 unserved and underserved households and 142 unserved and underserved businesses, 353 Unserved and underserved farms, and 3 unserved and underserved community anchor institutions in the Isanti and Kanabec Counties.
• In 2023, East Central received another Border to Border grant of almost $5 million to serve 1,990 locations in Isanti County.
• With two grants going to East Central Energy and more coming through Midcontinent, a momentum seems to be building for Isanti County, which wins them an upgrade to yellow ranking.

2024 Grants:

• County: Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs
  East Central Energy Mille Lacs Central
  Grant: $3,267,902
  Local Match: $5,111,333
  Total Budget: $8,379,235
  The East Central Energy Mille Lacs Central project will expand on ECE’s electric and broadband operations in East Central Minnesota and Northwestern Wisconsin, bringing state-of-the-art Fiber to the Premise (FTTP) technology to residents of Mille Lacs, Kanabec, and Isanti Counties. This project will serve a total of 659 locations, including 509 unserved and 150 underserved locations. Funding partners are; Isanti Couty $10,000, Kanabec County $900, Mille Lacs County $4,200, and South Fork Township $800, for a total partner contribution of $15,900.
• County: Isanti, Mille Lacs
  East Central Energy
  ECE Mille Lacs Sout
  Grant: $4,885,809
  Local Match: $8,319,081
  Total Budget: $13,204,890
  East Central Energy will connect 1,479 unserved and underserved passings with fiber-to-the premises internet service in the proposed Mille Lacs South project area, which encompasses parts of southern Mille Lacs County and western Isanti County. The total passings include 950 households, 89 businesses, and 440 farms. ECE will utilize its current electric pole line and substation infrastructure to connect the 1,479 passings with 100/100 Mbps or greater internet speeds. The Project will expand on ECE’s electric and broadband operations in east central Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin. ECE currently provides electric service to more than 66,000 homes, farms, and businesses. Mille Lacs County is pledging $100,000 and Isanti County is pledging $6,000 toward the project.

Past grants:

• 2023: East Central Energy – Isanti South – GRANT $4,900,000
• 2022: Midcontinent Communications, $1,647,321.00
• 2022: East Central Energy – Isanti North – GRANT $5,000,000

Find more articles on broadband in Isanti County. (http://tinyurl.com/gozt2ka)

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)