Pine County Commissioners agreed to send a letter in support to Minnesota Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) on behalf of Mediacom Broadband, which is seeking to expand broadband access for residents in Pine County through grant funding.
Gerri Jenkins, Mediacom’s government partnership specialist, shared that the project includes Carlton County. In Pine County, 193 miles of fiber optic cable would be laid, connecting 1,104 locations of unserved and underserved homes. The proposed project is a total of 357 miles of fiber optic cable for 2,381 residents.
Mediacom estimates that the project would take three years to complete; services would be launched in phases in order to connect people to the broadband as quickly as possible.
They even invested…
Jenkins was seeking a letter of support from the county in order to bolster their application to BEAD. In addition to the letter of support, Jenkins asked the board for a financial commitment. “We are asking for any level; there is no stipulation of any amount.” She said such a commitment demonstrates to BEAD that the county is in partnership with Mediacom.
In his motion, Hallan proposed the county give $1,000 towards the project. The motion passed unanimously. Chair Josh Mohr and Commissioner JJ Waldhalm were not present.
If the grant is awarded, Jenkins said buildout of the project would begin next year in 2026, mid-year to fall. Mediacom expects to hear back on the grant by fall 2025.