Rank: 7
Code: Green
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)
| County | 25/3 (% covered) |
25/3 rank | 100/20 (% covered) |
100/20 rank | Gig (% covered) |
Gig rank |
| Wadena | 99.51 | 7 | 99.49 | 7 | 64.49 | 32 |
Wadena County: into the top 10!
Wadena County ranks 7 (up one place) for broadband access out of 87 counties. Wadena County saw a great jump in access in 2019. They are a few dozen households away from ubiquitous coverage. Perhaps some Line Extension grants would help.
They retain their green ranking.
- Over the years, Wadena County (or cities within) has not invested in matches for any successful MN Broadband grants.
- Wadena County will not benefit from a 2024 MN Broadband grant.
- Wadena County will not benefit from any line extension awards.
- Last years’ estimates indicated that it would cost $353,400 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, Wadena ranked 77 using Microsoft’s Digital Equity Tool, which looks at various factors of a community.
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
| 100/20 (2026 goal) | 99.49 | 99.32 | 98.88 | 97.29 | 95.53 | 91.07 | 49.91 | 45.69 |
| 25/3 (2022 goal) | 99.51 | 99.36 | 98.92 | 97.36 | 95.53 | 93.01 | 92.37 | 88.23 |
Grants:
- 2015 – West Central Telephone Association Hwy 71 Wadena NORTH Expansion Project – Grant Award: $193,515
- WCTA (West Central Telephone Association) – Rural Staples Phase I Project – GRANT $555,355
Find more articles on broadband in Wadena County (http://tinyurl.com/z7xgkz8)
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)