Rank: 80
Code: Red
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Sibley County: still stuck at 65 percent coverage

Sibley County ranks 80 (down 3 points) for broadband access out of 87 counties. Sibley County has been working on better broadband for more than 10 years. They were a Blandin Broadband Community. But their connectivity has been stagnant since 2018. There hasn’t been a demonstration of recent engagement with broadband, which is why their code has gone from yellow to red.

Next Century Cities posted a snapshot of Sibley County:
Sibley County
Population: 14,955
Households without a computer: 9.8%
Households without Internet: 17.6%
Persons in Poverty: 8%

• Over the years, Sibley 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.
• Sibley County will not benefit from a 2024 MN Broadband grant.
• Sibley County will not benefit from any line extension awards
• Last years’ estimates indicated that it would cost $20.4 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, Sibley ranked 53 using Microsoft’s Digital Equity Tool, which looks at various factors of a community.

Grants

• 2017 – Winthrop Telephone Company, Inc. – Cornish Township FTTP Project – GRANT $365,895
• 2015 – MVTV Wireless Middle Mile – Grant award: $808,080
• 2014 – R-S Fiber Cooperative, FTTH Project – Award: $1 million.

• MN State Grant awarded in 2021: Winthrop Telephone Company, Inc. – Bismarck & Transit Township FTTP Project – GRANT $716,000 This last mile project will serve 148 unserved and six underserved locations, including homes, businesses and farms, in Bismarck, Transit and Round Grove townships in Sibley and McLeod counties

Find more articles on broadband in Sibley County (https://blandinonbroadband.org/?s=sibley&submit=Search)

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)