Rank: 25
Code:  Green
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Scott County: recent grant should help edge them closer

Scott County ranks 25 (down 4 places) for broadband access out of 87 counties. As part of the 7-county metro area, Scott County is a fairly metro county, so they have the advantage of proximity to the Twin Cities and some higher population density areas. They have had slow, incremental improvement since we have been tracking progress.

In Aug 2024, they surveyed their residents about broadband to maximize access to BEAD funding. They retain their green ranking because they are so close and continue to improve.

They retain their green ranking.

• Over the years, Scott County (or cities within) has invested $50,000 (total) for matches for 6 successful MN Broadband grants. This is an indicator of local government that is engaged and (literally) invested in better, local broadband.
• Scott County will not benefit from a 2024 MN Broadband grant.
• Scott will benefit from 5 line extension awards (Rounds 1 and 2), which extend broadband to individual locations.
• Last years’ estimates indicated that it would cost $26.8 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, Scott ranked 3using Microsoft’s Digital Equity Tool, which looks at various factors of a community.

Broadband Access:

Grants:

• 2022: Nuvera Communications, Inc., $2,436,427.00

• 2017 – Jaguar Communications – Sand Creek Township Area Broadband Project – GRANT $192,405
• 2019: BEVCOMM (Eckles Telephone Company) – Le Sueur County Project – GRANT $1,857,376

• MN State Grant awarded in 2021: 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, Euraka and Greenvale townships in Dakota County, and New Market and Cedar Lake townships in Scott County.

Find more articles on broadband in Scott County (http://tinyurl.com/gt4afcy)

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)