Category Archives: Community Networks

Willmar City Council offers contact to build community network to third option Kramer Group

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I posted this news earlier this week, but always interesting to get another local perspective, this time from Lakeland Media (KWLM 96.3fm in Willmar)…

The Willmar City Council Monday awarded a bid of 8.2 million dollars to Kramer Service Group of Wisconsin to do Phase One of the Willmar Connect broadband project. 10 companies initially bid on the project last December…the lowest bidder withdrew their bid after realizing they left out certain costs, and the second lowest bidder, NC3 of Clearbrook Minnesota, had their bid rescinded after they informed the city they no longer had the financial and operational capacity to do the project. So Kramer, which was the third lowest bidder, gets the job. Willmar Operations Director Kyle Box says Kramer has experience in doing this type of work.

Kramer’s bid is slightly higher than the engineer’s estimate of 8 million dollars, but Box says that estimate will likely go down because the industrial park portion of the project may be financed through a grant. Next month they will sell bonds in the amount of 9.2 million dollar.

Willmar Council rescinds contract offer to NC3 and goes with the Kramer Group to build network for community broadband

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The West Central Tribune reports…

After learning NC3 is not able to fulfill the scope of work for phase one of the Willmar Connect project, the Willmar City Council in a 5-3 vote approved awarding the bid to the next lowest bidder.

The Willmar City Council on Monday unanimously approved rescinding the bid award to NC3 for Willmar Connect phase one and in a split 5-3 vote approved awarding the bid to Kramer Service Group.

Willmar Connect is the city’s initiative to build a city-owned fiber-optic broadband network on which multiple internet service providers can lease space to provide internet services. Network fees from the providers operating on the open-access network will be used to fund the construction debt.

The motion to award the bid to Kramer Service Group was made by Councilor Tom Gilbertson and seconded by Councilor Vicki Davis. Both voted in favor of the motion, along with Councilors Audrey Nelsen, Justin Ask and Carl Shuldes. Voting against the motion were Councilors Rick Fagerlie, Stephen Gardner and Tom Butterfield.

Those three council members had also voted against awarding the bid to NC3 on Jan. 20.

Staff at that time determined that NC3 had demonstrated the responsibility, qualifications and financial capacity sufficient to complete the project in accordance with the bid specifications and contract requirements, according to the memo in the Jan. 20 packet of meeting materials.

“Over the last two weeks, NC3 has informed the city that it has bid on additional work and no longer has the financial or operational capacity to complete the Willmar Connect project as originally proposed,” said Willmar City Operations Director Kyle Box.

They are looking at another option…

Box informed the council that Kramer Service Group has been contacted and has confirmed that it is still willing to be a contractor for this project under its original bid price. …

He explained that Kramer Service Group is a well-known contractor within the industry and has completed similar types of projects in size and cost for a number of cities, including Buffalo, Minnesota, and it will be constructing phase two of the open-access network being constructed in Superior, Wisconsin, this summer.

“The considerations that the council should be aware of is that this bid is approximately $570,000 higher than the bid award to NC3,” Box added.

Wadena County talks about plans for future, giving a nod to broadband progress

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The Wadena Pioneer Journal reports…

From housing and growth to long-term priorities, residents had an opportunity to share their ideas for the future of Wadena County during a public meeting as the county prepares to update its comprehensive plan.

Ben Oleson, planning consultant with Hometown Planning, kicked off the Feb. 26 meeting and noted the county has not updated its comprehensive plan since 2013. The purpose, said Oleson, is to develop a roadmap for the future of Wadena County by gaining input from residents. The process involves reviewing existing policies and updating demographic data with new census information.

They spoke about a number of topics, including broadband…

Wadena County resident Joy Weyer highlighted the need for reliable day care services beyond in-home providers and access to high-speed internet services. Weyer noted that in-home day care providers have been the backbone of child care options in the county, but day care centers that are able to provide drop-in options are limited.

Some shared info on broadband improvements…

Commissioner Bill Stearns said Wadena County has achieved a high rate of broadband coverage, mostly due to West Central Telephone’s commitment to serving Wadena County residents.

“Our county has 98 percent coverage in the county for broadband and it’s one of the highest in the state for coverage,” said Stearns, who added access to high-speed internet is a crucial component for attracting remote workers and new residents.

Willmar City Council considers rescinding award to build broadband for of Willmar Connect

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The West Central Tribune reports…

The Willmar City Council on Monday, March 2, will consider rescinding the bid award to NC3 for construction of phase one of Willmar Connect and re-awarding the bid to Kramer Service Group.

Hometown Fiber has been contracted to manage the network and the ISPs will pay fees to the city to run on the network. Those fees will be used to fund the debt service and interest on the bonds that will be issued to pay for the construction of the network.

NC3 was awarded the bid for phase one construction on Jan. 20 by the Willmar City Council, having determined at that time that NC3 had demonstrated responsibility, qualifications and financial capacity sufficient to complete the project in accordance with the bid specifications and contract requirements.

However, after the awarding of the bid, NC3 notified the city that it no longer possesses the financial and operational capacity necessary to complete phase one of the project as originally proposed and bid, according to the memo in the agenda packet of materials for the March 2 meeting.

Although NC3 and the staff discussed alterations to the project scope and delivery approach, the alterations deviated from the work as bid and posed a great risk to the city, and staff was no longer confident in the contractors’ ability to perform the work in accordance with the bid documents and conditions under which the award was made, according to the memo.

City staff’s recommendation is to rescind the bid award to NC3 and award it to the next lowest bidder for the project, which is Kramer Service Group of Weyerhaeuser, Wisconsin, in the amount of approximately $8.2 million, according to the memo. The estimate for the cost of the project from Bolton & Menk, the city’s contracted engineers, is a little more than $8 million.

This is a new page of an ongoing story with many chapters.

Breitung Township Board get broadband update: some areas up by mid-summer, take rate is good (St Louis County)

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The Timberjay reports…

Breitung Township Board Chair Matt Tuchel gave an update on broadband internet at the township’s monthly meeting held Feb. 17.
Tuchel reported that he recently met with representatives from CTC, Lake Country Power, IRRR, CBDG, and representatives from other local municipalities, and that the new internet connections installed last summer will be up and running for Breitung residents along McKinley Park Rd. by mid-summer. He said that just under 50 percent of residents chose to connect to the service, a higher percentage than other townships.
Tuchel said that there are 250 poles within Breitung Township that need to be replaced as part of the broadband project. The current poles can’t handle the addition of the new fiberoptic lines. This is in areas where the broadband cables cannot be buried due to ledge rock, for example. Lake Country Power will not pay for pole replacement but will be stringing the fiber lines on the new poles.
A study, with an estimated cost of $175,000, will be needed to determine pole replacement. IRRR will cover 50 percent of the cost, and three townships — Greenwood, Beatty, and Breitung — would share the remaining cost. Bois Forte is planning to apply for a NTIA grant to cover the cost for pole replacements and other costs to complete this broadband expansion. Total funding needed may be as high as $6 million.
The places identified that need poles are Echo Pt. Rd., Carol Ln., Swamp Rd., and Echo Narrows Ln. The other areas that weren’t addressed that still need service will have fiber laid underground, including McKinley Park Acres Rd., Miettunen Plat Rd., and a portion of Echo Pt Rd.
Tuchel said that broadband service will be discussed further at the township’s annual meeting and invited residents to weigh in on the issue.

Willmar City Council approves selling bonds for Phase 1 of Willmar Connect project

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KWLM 96.3 Lakeland Media reports…

The Willmar City Council this week approved issuing bonds for Phase 1 of the Willmar Connect broadband project. Phase 1 will involved laying fiber optic cable to every home and business south of Highway 12 and west of 1st Street, then leasing the cable to any company interested in providing internet service. The bond approved Tuesday is for 9.2 million dollars, and City Operations Director Kyle Box says the bond would be repaid through revenues generated by leasing the network to the internet service providers…

…Box says it is estimated the Willmar Connect project will not cash flow until after Phase Two is up and operating in a few years…

…Box says it is hoped the contractor can begin work on Phase One later this year.

Willmar City Council to meet Feb 17 to discuss city-owned broadband network

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West Central Tribune reports…

The Willmar City Council will meet Tuesday, Feb. 17, and will conduct four public hearings.

The first two public hearings are related to the issuance of tax abatement bonds for Connect Willmar, the city’s initiative to construct a city-wide, city-owned broadband network on which multiple internet service providers can lease bandwidth to provide internet services to Willmar residents. …

The meeting takes place at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the boardroom at the Kandiyohi County Health and Human Services Building, 2200 23rd St. N.E. in Willmar. The council is meeting Tuesday due to the Presidents Day holiday on Monday.

The full agenda and accompanying packet of meeting materials can be viewed on the city’s website at willmarmn.gov on the mayor and council page under agendas, minutes, and videos for 2026 meetings.

Willmar Council votes to accept $7.6M bid to begin broadband deployment

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The West Central Tribune reports that the Willmar City Council finally votes to move forward with a broadband plan…

After nearly three years of planning, the  Willmar City Council,  in a split 5-3 vote on Tuesday, accepted the low bid from NC3 for the construction of phase one of the Willmar Connect broadband project.

The motion to accept the bid was made by Councilor Tom Gilbertson and seconded by Councilor Vicki Davis, who both voted in favor of the motion. Councilors Audrey Nelsen, Justin Ask and Carl Shuldes also voted in favor of the motion. Voting against the motion were Councilors Stephen Gardner, Rick Fagerlie and Tom Butterfield.

The Willmar Connect initiative is the city’s plan to construct a citywide, city-owned, open-access broadband network, which the city has been researching and planning for since early 2023.

The Willmar Connect initiative is the city’s plan to construct a citywide, city-owned, open-access broadband network, which the city has been researching and planning for since early 2023. …

The project is planned in three phases, with phase one covering all businesses and residences west of First Street South between U.S. Highway 12 and 19th Avenue. Phase one’s final estimated cost is a little more than $8 million, according to Willmar City Operations Director Kyle Box.

The low bid from NC3 of Clearbrook, Minnesota, for phase one is approximately $7.6 million.

Willmar MN gets nice nod in list of Municipal Networks that Launched in 2025 – for getting so close

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The Institute for Local Self Reliance reports…

By any measure, 2025 was a tough year in the grand project to extend fast, affordable, reliable broadband access to every home in the United States. The Digital Equity Act was abruptly cancelled, BEAD was restructured, small- and large-scale outages were common, and prices from the monopolies rose yet again.

But good things happened, too. In 2025, we saw seven new municipal broadband networks across the country that were lit up for service. As is usual, it was a mixture of partnerships, business models, and construction approaches to meet the unique challenges of a patchwork broadband landscape.

Willmar gets a nice nod…

Honorable mention to cities like Willmar, Minnesota – which did a monumental amount of preparatory work in 2025 and will start building its open access retail network later this year.

Willmar Council to consider awarding bids for Willmar Connect on Jan 20

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The West Central Tribune reports on what has become an ongoing story of broadband in Willmar…

The Willmar City Council on Tuesday, Jan. 20, will consider awarding the bids for construction of phase one of the Willmar Connect project.

The meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the boardroom of the Kandiyohi County Health and Human Services building, 2200 23rd St. N.E. in Willmar. The council meets Tuesday due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Monday.

The Willmar Connect project is the city’s plan to construct a city-wide, city-owned, open access broadband network, which the city has been researching and planning for since early 2023.

The city has contracted with Hometown Fiber to assist with network design and the phased build-out of the network, as well as also operate and manage the network on which multiple internet service providers can operate. The ISPs will pay fees to the city, which will generate the revenue to service the debt and interest on the approximately $24.5 million in bonds that will be issued to pay for network construction.

The low bid for phase one came from NC3 of Clearbrook, Minnesota, in the amount of approximately $7.6 million.

EVENT Jan 20: AAPB and ILSR to Host Webinar on Legal Challenges Facing Community Broadband

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From the Institute for Local Self Reliance…

Cities and towns building or expanding locally owned broadband networks can face a complex and confusing legal landscape.

To help local leaders better understand those challenges, the American Association for Public Broadband (AAPB) and the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) Community Broadband Networks Initiative are kicking off the new year with another one of their increasingly popular and informative webinars.

The free event, “Navigating the Legal Landscape of Community Broadband” is slated for Tuesday, January 20, from 12 to 1 p.m. ET.

Registration is now open here.

More on the Broadband in rural St. Louis County

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I wrote about the good news in St Louis County earlier, but always nice to see more mainstream media sources pick up on it. Fox21 also tells the story, with video…

After more than a decade of planning and persistence, broadband internet is finally expanding to four of St. Louis County’s most rural townships.

In an era where internet access is often taken for granted, many families in rural parts of the county have long struggled with limited or unreliable service. Leaders say geography and distance have made it difficult for providers to justify the costly infrastructure needed to reach these areas.

That reality is now changing.

“I started crying. I couldn’t believe it after all this time,” said retired township supervisor Jan Keough, who has been involved in the effort since 2009.

“The main lesson is, persistence pays off,” Keough said.

Another key figure in the project is Rod Saline, a supervisor for North Star Township, one of the four townships slated to receive broadband service. Saline said approximately 548 residents will now have the opportunity to connect.

He says the benefits go far beyond faster internet speeds.

Rural St Louis County is getting better broadband through BEAD and Mediacom

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News from North Star Township and Pequaywan Township in St Louis County..

Minnesota broadband grants, funded by the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program in the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), will include funding to Mediacom to bring a fiber optic network to rural North Star and Pequaywan Townships and adjacent areas. On December 22, 2025, Senator Klobuchar announced that the Minnesota grant program had been approved by NTIA. “I’m thrilled to announce that Minnesota’s broadband funding
proposal has been approved, which will bring fast, affordable, reliable internet to families in every
corner of our state, especially in North Star, Pequaywan, and other rural townships,” said Senator
Klobuchar. “This funding is available thanks to my bipartisan legislation that I fought to pass so that
Minnesota families—regardless of their ZIP code—have access to high-speed internet.”
“For more than a decade, the residents and leaders of North Star and Pequaywan Townships have done everything right—planning, organizing, and advocating for better connectivity—and this investment finally delivers on that work,” said Bree Maki, Executive Director of The Office of
Broadband Development “BEAD funding is designed to reach exactly these kinds of rural communities
that the market alone has not served, and this project will help to ensure families, businesses, and first responders in St. Louis County have access to reliable, affordable, high-speed internet that meets today’s needs and tomorrow’s opportunities.”
North Star and Pequaywan Townships along with a handful of other rural townships in St Louis County,
have been working to bring reliable, affordable and fast internet access to their communities since 2009. Townships have lobbied providers, conducted feasibility studies, satisfaction surveys, and outreach. More populous townships have attracted broadband providers, but the more rural and less populous townships including North Star and Pequaywan have had no success until now.
In St. Louis County, Mediacom, in recent years, began building a fiber optic network in Lakewood Township and later, into Normanna Township, bringing their network to the North Star Township border. This gave township officials new incentive to convince Mediacom to extend north. Mediacom successfully applied for BEAD funding for North Star and Pequaywan Townships and adjacent areas.
“We are thrilled to have recently been awarded grants through the state’s BEAD program,” said Christopher Lord, Mediacom’s Senior Director of Government Partnership Opportunities. “We have long enjoyed a highly collaborative relationship with the amazing team at Minnesota DEED, and NorthStar Township, Pequaywan Township, Ault Township, and Unorganized Township 54-13, have been great local partners throughout this process. We look forward to delivering fiber-to-the-home broadband services to these communities and seeing the great impact these services will have on the residents and businesses in these townships.”

Funding from the BEAD program will also greatly expand broadband availability across in St Louis County. Commissioner Paul McDonald noted “This is fantastic news for these townships who have been working diligently for over 15 years to get quality broadband”.
Officials from North Star and Pequaywan Townships have been working to prepare their property owners to get the Mediacom fiber optic service through hosting town hall meetings and newsletters.
Rod Saline, North Star Supervisor, noted “Our citizens, small businesses, and especially our Fire/EMS Department, are looking forward to having access to reliable, affordable, and really fast broadband!”
Doug Nelson, Pequaywan Supervisor, added “This announcement from Sen Klobuchar is welcome news for all the residents in our area as this broadband service is greatly needed.”
Information on the Minnesota BEAD broadband program can be found at:
https://mn.gov/deed/programs-services/broadband/bead/

Willmar City Council delays announcement of Willmar Connect broadband plan

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Willmar City Council had planned to announce the broadband plans at Monday’s council meeting. Instead, West Central Tribune reports…

Consideration for awarding the bid for the Willmar Connect initiative was expected to be on the Willmar City Council agenda on Monday, Jan. 5, but that agenda item was again delayed.

When asked why, City Operations Director Kyle Box explained the agreements with the internet service providers that will be operating on the network and paying fees to the city were not yet ready for approval.

He also shared that the low bid, about which the City Council was briefed on Dec. 15, is ready for approval, but the ISP agreements also need to be ready for approval to ensure the council members that the project is financially feasible.

A little more on the low bid…

The low bid from NC3 of Clearbrook, Minnesota, for phase one is in the amount of approximately $7.6 million. The city expects to collect a fee between $40 and $44 per subscription from the ISPs that use the network, according to Box.

Willmar City Council to decide on broadband plan amidst some criticism

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The West Central Tribune reports…

The Willmar City Council on Monday, Jan. 5, is expected to consider awarding the bid for the construction of phase one of the Willmar Connect initiative to construct a city-owned, open-access broadband network.

At the Dec. 15 City Council meeting, Bob Enos was joined by approximately 10 people to speak against the initiative. Enos spoke while others held up signs stating, “Shame on you! Willmar City Council — $25 million for internet and you don’t ask?” The signs also had a graphic of people below the text.

Willmar has been working on better broadband for years…

The project is planned in three phases, with phase one covering all businesses and residences west of First Street South between U.S. Highway 12 and 19th Avenue. Phase one’s estimated cost is approximately $7.8 million. As of the Dec. 15 meeting, city staff were vetting a bid of $7.6 million.

Phase two will build out the network in the southern and eastern portions of the city and phase three will build it out to the north at a cost of approximately $7 million each.

During his address, Enos accused city staff of failing to conduct due diligence on the project and of withholding information from the City Council regarding failed municipal networks.

“The public is left with three questions. Number one, did the city staff fail to do the basic due diligence that I did at home in my spare time? If not, that’s pure laziness and incompetence,” Enos continued. “Number two, did the city staff, in fact, do its due diligence and then withhold information that didn’t support the desired narrative? If that’s so, that’s fraudulent. Or, has the City Council been fully aware of the financial damage other cities suffered — the risk of this infrastructure becoming prematurely obsolete in an industry evolving at hyper speed — and yet chooses to put the taxpayers at risk anyway? If so, that’s immoral.”

The City Council responded…

“With all due respect, I appreciate the opinions and the point of view that any member of the community may have on the project, that’s why we’re at this public forum or public setting to have these conversations,” Box said. “ … I can absolutely take criticism if I need to, but I feel we’ve done our due diligence. We have been very conservative in all of our project funding. We’ve tried to keep this as tight as we can without having to slow the project down too much, where we lose interest.”

He noted that he has never said there would be zero risk in completing this project, and if the council approves moving forward with it and nobody signs up for it, the city still has to pay the debt for it. He also noted there is a lot of data about both successful and failed projects.

The article goes on to outline several municipal networks.