Rank: 24
Code: Green
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Sherburne County: Great improvement

Sherburne County ranks 24 (up 9 places) for broadband access out of 87 counties. They have had incremental growth (aside from 2022 when they actually slipped) for man years. The growth this year was a little better than usual.

They don’t have any line exchange or MN state grants they can look forward to spending but they have a history of concerted effort, which means they can do it again when BEAD funding becomes available.

• Over the years, Sherburne County (or cities within) has invested $899,457 (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.
• Sherburne County will not benefit from a 2024 MN Broadband.
• Sherburne County will not benefit from any line extension awards.
• Last years’ estimates indicated that it would cost $66.5 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, Sherburne ranked 8 using Microsoft’s Digital Equity Tool, which looks at various factors of a community.
• Sherburne County has worked with the Blandin Foundation. They seemed to renew an interest in broadband post-pandemic.

Past Grants

• 2023: Arvig (Tekstar) – Sherburne County Area Fiber Extension – GRANT $182,576
• 2022: Tekstar Communications, Inc. dba Arvig, $1,075,943.50 (Learn more)

• 2017 – Palmer Wireless – Sherburne County Road 3 – GRANT $110,661
• 2016 – PALMER WIRELESS BIG LAKE INDUSTRIAL PARK – GRANT: $ 90,988
• 2016 – PALMER WIRELESS DEL TONE ROAD AND ST. CLOUD AIRPORT – GRANT: $ 179,400
• 2014 – Palmer Wireless, Becker Industrial Park – Award: $151,934.

Find more articles on broadband in Sibley County(http://tinyurl.com/ztm6c9n)

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)