Rank: 82
Code: Red
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Pine County: Progress is coming

Pine County ranks 82 (up 4 places) for broadband access out of 87 counties. They have gone from 41 percent coverage to 61 percent. They have a long way to go but that is a great jump in coverage. They are set up to benefit from a $3.7 million 2024 MN state grant and $5.5 million in a ReConnect grant, so it seems like the momentum could continue.

Pine County has been actively seeking better broadband for years; they were part of a Blandin Broadband Communities cohort a few years ago. Unfortunately, much of Pine County is served by one large national provider. That may have been a bottleneck to better access in those areas.

They are still code red, but it seems like they are poised for a change in the next year.

• Over the years, Pine County (or cities within) has invested $16,000 (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.
• Pine County will benefit from a 2024 $3.6 million MN Broadband grant award that will serve 1,069 locations in Pine and Aitkin.
• Pine County will benefit from 40 line extension awards (Rounds 1 and 2), which extend broadband to individual locations.
• Last years’ estimates indicated that it would cost $84.4 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, Pine ranked 86 using Microsoft’s Digital Equity Tool, which looks at various factors of a community.
• Pine County was awarded $5.5 million in ReConnect funding in December 2024.

2024 Grants

• County: Pine, Aitkin
  Savage Communications Inc
  SCI – East Central MN
  Grant: $3,563,817
  Local Match: $3,713,817
  Total Budget: $7,277,634
  Savage Communications Inc. (SCI) will build Fiber to the Premise (FTTP) to 1,069 Locations within the townships of Barry, Finlayson, Hinckley, Kettle River, Norman, Partridge, Pine Lake, Sturgeon Lake, Wagner Townships and the city of Rutledge located in Pine and Aitkin County. SCI plans to offer initial Internet speeds of 1Gbps download and 1Gbps upload. Farms and businesses are in the project area, as are three (3) township halls. The company currently provides service to over 40 communities throughout East Central and Northern Minnesota since 1984. Pine County is contributing $75,000 toward the project.

Past grants

• 2022: East Central Energy, $4,750,000.00 (serving Pine and Kanabec) (Learn more)
• 2022: East Central Energy – Kanabec Central – GRANT $4,403,000

• 2017 – SCI (Savage Communications Inc.) — Dell Grove Township Broadband Expansion – GRANT $118,248

Find more articles on broadband in Pine County (http://tinyurl.com/ha8burg)

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)