Category Archives: Community Networks

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.

Willmar Council considers awarding bid for Willmar Connect in January

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The West Central Tribune reports…

The Willmar City Council on Dec. 15 heard an update on the Willmar Connect initiative from City Operations Director Kyle Box, who said awarding of the bid for the project should be ready for consideration in January.

Willmar City Council is expected to consider awarding the bid for the Willmar Connect initiative at its first meeting in January 2026, according to Willmar City Operations Director Kyle Box.

Box provided an update on the Willmar Connect initiative at the Dec. 15 meeting of the City Council.

The Willmar Connect initiative is the city’s plan to construct a citywide, city-owned, open-access fiber broadband network. The city will own the infrastructure and Hometown Fiber will operate and manage the network on which multiple internet service providers can operate.

The various ISPs operating on the system will pay fees to the city, which will be used to service the debt and interest on approximately $24.5 million in bonds issued to pay for its construction.

MN Public Broadband Alliance Meeting Dec 2025: National view from Gigi Sohn

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The MN Public Broadband Alliance is an organization for communities (such as counties) that are seeking better broadband. They host a monthly meeting for members, which includes a presentation from Gigi Sohn, American Association for Public Broadband, on what’s happening to broadband on the national scope. One update that didn’t make the PPT – As of today: GAO determined that June 6 policy guidance are not in effective because NTIA didn’t submit changes to Congress. This may change nothing practically, but technically it is true.

We also chatted about what’s happening in Minnesota – which means talking about BEAD, changes in providers and trying to keep up.

Willmar Connect bids to build open-access broadband are coming in

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The West Central Tribune reports…

The West Central Tribune reports…

The city of Willmar announced Wednesday that it opened bids for phase one of the city-wide, open-access broadband project known as Willmar Connect, with the apparent low bid coming in under the estimated costs for phase one construction.

Phase one involves constructing the network operations center and installing fiber throughout all the neighborhoods west of First Street South, between U.S. Highway 12 and 19th Avenue. Phase one may expand into areas within phase two of the project if there are clusters of residents and businesses who have completed the advance sign-up for the service.

The infrastructure will be owned by the city and the network will be managed by Hometown Fiber. Multiple internet service providers can contract with the city to offer services on the network for a fee, which will be used to pay the principal and interest on the bonds that will fund the construction of the project. Eventually, those fees are expected to generate revenue for the city, as well.

If approved by the Willmar City Council on Dec. 15, construction of phase one of the Willmar Connect project will begin in early 2026. The project has been a long time coming since it was first considered in 2022, with thorough vetting and research completed by the city to ensure its success.

Sherburne County to expands Arvig Elk River and Haven/Clear Lake Broadband Grant Program

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The Patriot News reports on Sherburne County business…

The board approved amendments to Arvig Elk River and Haven/Clear Lake Broadband Grant Program agreements

Arvig received ARPA Broadband Access Program grants for several projects in 2023. The Elk River Round #1, Elk River Round #2, and the Clear Lake/Haven Round #2 projects were completed (or are very near to completion) under budget.

Staff recommended utilizing the remaining funds ($453,300) to expand the original scope of each project. The revised project scope would serve an additional 71 passings, which include 10 unserved and 61 underserved properties in Elk River, Haven, and Clear Lake.

Minnesota Public Broadband Alliance Meeting: Federal look at BEAD from Gigi Sohn

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The Minnesota Public Broadband Alliance is an interesting group of community leaders who are interested in broadband in their areas. The group includes folks who are technical and folks who understand the need. We get some examples of how broadband is making municipal life easier – such a remote meter reading, which means no more meter reader knocking on the door. And we learn about the ins and outs with partnering with different types of organizations to build better networks. Very creative!

Gigi Sohn often joins the call, which is a fantastic glimpse at what’s happening at the national level and often a sneak peek into some of the inner workings. I have high level notes from the meeting below.

Notes from Gigi Sohn

  • 18 BEAD plans are OK’ed but only one has NIST approval
  • NTIA is tinkering with benefit of the bargain, then best and final offer – where lowest wins no matter what. Apparently, NTIA is making folks do a second “best and final offer” round.
  • NTIA has sights out for public broadband and cooperatives
  • On Friday Executive Order that will require all states to pre-empt all local AI regulations before getting fed funding. This may be a stopper.
  • Nondeployment money could be used for adoption et al when first introduced but now – seems like the states will have to give back all or most of the unused (nondeployment) funds
  • Some in congress is writing bills to give the money back to the federal government
  • Benton is working on a letter (125 legislators have signed) to let states keep their designated funds
  • Recommended reading: From Promises to Performance: BEAD Enforcement Tools States Need Now
  • Recommended webinar: Building Smarter Cities and the Cost of Doing Nothing

Questions:

How can we support Gigi?
Get MN policymakers to sign the Benton letter

Are here any community networks interested in private funding?
Sounds like a disaster

Notes from OBD

  • MN did not accept non-use of waivers. We think we have support on some of the waivers.
  • There is more than $200 million in nondeployment
  • There is support in Congress to let states keep their money
  • It seems like NTIA wants to push too far – get to a point where providers won’t sign a contract
  • Minnesota’s proposal is close – but the slow down is likely the waivers
  • NIST is an issue.
  • LEO is a hiccup when you want to build to the future
  • Line Extension is due next week (Nov 25)

Questions:

Is there a template or model we can create for counties to show what BEAD can look like?
Yes, very close

What could the unintended consequences be on border to border program?
We need to do education on what federal funding means versus state funding. Providers are also looking at the cost of federal funding.

Next Meeting Dec 17 – and that could be a very important meeting.

Lismore Coop talking to Nobles County about extending FTTH to Rushmore and Ellsworth

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The Worthington Globe reports…

Travis Halbur of Lismore Cooperative Telephone Company met with the Nobles County Board of Commissioners Tuesday morning to discuss a new project endeavor with intent to request funding assistance from the county.

Carter Grupp, consulting project manager at Finley Engineering Company, was also present to offer more information on the project, which is intended to bring a fiber line into Rushmore, Ellsworth and other non-grant subscribers throughout the county.

Some specifics on the proposal…

The total cost of the project is estimated at $682,000. Nobles County was asked to provide 20%, or $136,400, as a local commitment toward an application to secure more funding through the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Broadband Line Extension Connection program . The program awards grants for the extension of existing broadband infrastructure to unserved locations, which includes Ellsworth, Rushmore, Worthington and Fulda. …

With the line extension grant application due Nov. 25, there isn’t much time to gather funds. Though, the project is not meant to be a large-scale investment.

The proposed project would include about 18.74 miles of mainline cable, serving about 55 passings, which is an umbrella term to define an end user, such as a home, business, school, library or farm. Of those, 53 would be in Nobles County, while two would be in Murray County.

The cost per subscriber comes in at around $12,400, with the cost per mile at $36,000, which is pretty standard according to Grupp.

“We’re looking to leverage existing state funding to not only build last mile fiber, but also feed potentially four communities in Nobles County that don’t have access to fiber,” Grupp said.

 

More details on the Golden Valley’s upcoming FTTH deployment

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I wrote about Golden Valley’s broadband expansion last week, but MinneapoliMedia has more information…

Residents of Golden Valley could see fiber internet installation begin in many neighborhoods as early as Spring 2026, as multiple companies prepare to lay high-speed fiber optic cables throughout the city. The project will bring advanced broadband connectivity to both local residences and businesses, marking a significant step in the city’s digital infrastructure development.

City Engineer Michael Ryan confirmed that the city has already received plans and permit applications for more than 15 miles of fiber optic cable. “Golden Valley is behind other neighboring cities in fiber installation due to our undergrounding policy for new utility installations, which prohibits the use of existing overhead utility poles,” Ryan explained. “Despite this, we are confident that significant construction will begin in 2026.”

Fiber internet is considered a private utility, similar to gas or electric service. Its installation is managed by multiple private providers, with the City of Golden Valley facilitating permits and right-of-way access. The city does not select a single provider and cannot deny a permit if a company meets City Code requirements.

Key details for residents include:

  • Timeline: Construction is expected to start in Spring 2026.
  • Disruption: Active construction in a neighborhood typically lasts one to two weeks.
  • Installation Process: Utility marking via Gopher State One Call (GSOC), directional drilling to install underground conduit, fiber cable pulling, and splicing.
  • Restoration: Installing companies are responsible for restoring affected property, including lawns, sprinkler systems, and pavement.

Willmar Council approves next step in Willmar Connect in split 5-3 vote

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The West Central Tribune reports…

The Willmar City Council on Monday in a split 5-3 vote approved moving forward with the Willmar Connect project, a city-owned, open-access broadband network.

After more than three years of planning, the Willmar City Council on Monday in a split 5-3 vote approved moving forward with the city-owned, open-access broadband network now known as Willmar Connect.

Councilor Tom Gilbertson made a motion to approve the plans and specifications for the first phase of the project, as well as to solicit bids, which Councilor Vicki Davis seconded. Both voted in favor of the motion, along with councilors Carl Shuldes, Audrey Nelsen and Justin Ask.

Voting against the motion were councilors Stephen Gardner, Rick Fagerlie and Tom Butterfield, who all questioned the financial viability of the project to pay for itself without affecting property taxes.

Phase one of the project involves constructing the network operations center and installing fiber throughout all the neighborhoods west of First Street South, between U.S. Highway 12 and Willmar Avenue. Phase one may expand into areas within phase two of the project if there are clusters of residents and businesses who have completed the pre-sign-up for the service.

The infrastructure will be owned by the city and the network will be managed by Hometown Fiber. Multiple internet service providers can contract with the city to offer services on the network for a fee, which will be used to pay the principal and interest on the bonds that will fund the construction of the project. Eventually, those fees are expected to generate revenue for the city, as well.

Construction of phase one is estimated to cost approximately $7.8 million and phases two and three are estimated to cost just under $7 million each. The total estimated cost of the project is approximately $24.5 million, excluding interest on the bonds that will be used to fund it.

The city has already invested more than $1.1 million in planning the project, which has been funded by the city’s Industrial Park fund.

 

Golden Valley MN attracts fiber installation in City right-of-way and easements

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CCX Media reports on Golden Valley’s adventures with a local fiber build…

 Over the next few years, several companies will be working throughout Golden Valley to install fiber optic cables in City right-of-way and easements. Fiber internet, also known as broadband, is a private utility similar to gas and electric. High-speed fiber optic internet offers a new service option for residents and businesses throughout the community. …

The city has set up a website to offer information and, when construction begins, an interactive map so residents know where the construction will be taking place.

 

Bois Forte-CTC extends NECS middle mile broadband to 2,000 locations around Lake Vermilion (St Louis and Koochiching Counties)

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The Timberjay has a nice article on the history of broadband in parts of St Louis and Koochiching Counties – from NESC middle mile in 2015 to the Bois Forte-CTC extensions today. It’s proof that, like Rome, FTTH was not built in a day. I’m going to share an abridged version below, but I strongly suggested checking out the original.

Roughly a decade ago, the Northeast Service Cooperative strung a massive web of fiber across northeastern Minnesota. But what you’re seeing today isn’t a duplication of that work. It’s the follow-through. Thanks to a partnership between NESC, the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa and the broadband company CTC, more than 2,000 homes and businesses around Lake Vermilion’s south shore, Pelican Lake, and Nett Lake are finally getting high-speed broadband service.   …

NESC’s “freeway” network was completed in 2015 after four years of construction and $43.5 million in federal investment. The goal wasn’t to wire every house. It was to build a middle mile, essential infrastructure that future projects could plug into.

Joe Weber, divisional director for the NESC middle mile system, said the project was originally built to serve schools, libraries, governments, and other public entities in places where private providers couldn’t justify the cost of running fiber.    …

The original network spanned eight counties and connected about 320 public facilities. Since then, it has grown to over 1,300 miles of fiber stretching from Cambridge to Grand Portage.
The Bois Forte–CTC project wouldn’t have been feasible without the NESC backbone. Without it, CTC would have faced the enormous expense of building long stretches of new fiber just to link the project area to the larger internet. By tapping into NESC’s existing system, those costs were avoided.  …

A common question that’s cropped up in recent months is whether a network built in 2011 to 2015 can keep up with the skyrocketing internet demands of 2025 and beyond. Both Weber and Buttweiler say that’s not a concern with fiber optics.
“The fiber itself has not changed at all,” Weber said. “The same investment 12 or 13 years ago is still working with new technology.”

ConnectSuperior sees 10 percent uptake in the first 2 months of service

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Wisconsin Public Radio reports about our neighbors to the East.

This summer, after five years of planning, the city of Superior launched a new city-owned fiber optic network called ConnectSuperior.

ConnectSuperior works kind of like a highway, where the city supplies the infrastructure, and businesses can use that network to provide high-speed internet service to residents.

Stephanie Becken, the city’s broadband manager, told WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” that the new network has been a game-changer for Superior. Before, residents were limited to a handful of existing internet service providers in the area, and connectivity could be spotty because those companies hadn’t invested in updated infrastructure.

“Now, with this system, we’re able to really (welcome) as many internet service providers as the market can bear,” Becken said.

For some households, this means parents can work, kids can do schoolwork and other family members can play games or stream movies together, all at the same time — something that was inconceivable with the older internet speeds.

Woodstock Communications Deploys FTTP in Hatfield (Pipestone County) with MN State Grant

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The Pipestone Star reports…

Woodstock Communications has begun construction of a fiber optic internet network in the Hatfield area.

Work started east of Pipestone along State Highway 30 earlier this month. Woodstock Communications General Manager Terry Nelson said the project includes installing about 45 miles of fiber that will pass 116 homes in the project area. He said the fiber will be installed this fall and internet service is expected to be ready by the end of the year.

There will be no charge to residents in the project area to connect their residences. Projected pricing for broadband service is $44.95 for 100 megabits per second (Mbps) uploading and downloading speed, $54.95 for 250 Mbps, $74.95 for 500 Mbps and $104.95 for 1 gigabit per second. Nelson said that pricing is consistent with what Woodstock Communications charges in the rest of its service areas.

The project is estimated to cost $2,150,576. Woodstock Communications received a $1,612,932 grant from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) last year to help pay for it. The Pipestone County Commissioners voted in 2023 to provide $268,822 for the project, which would cover half of the local match for the grant. Woodstock Communications will pay the other half.

The project in the Hatfield area is phase one of a four-phase project to provide fiber internet access to all the rural parts of Pipestone County for an estimated $15,733,299. Woodstock Communications plans to seek other grants in the future to help fund the projects.

Benton looks at Achieving Affordability: State Strategies for Getting Everyone Online

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The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society has a new publication that looks at Achieving Affordability: State Strategies for Getting Everyone Online…

In the absence of federal leadership, state governments are working to ensure that every household can afford to get and stay connected

They looked at…

Some state governments have long prioritized broadband affordability, while others are only now stepping in to fill the vacuum left by Washington. Across their strategic plans, all states cite affordability as one of the chief barriers to achieving universal connectivity. This report examines how states are working to make high-speed internet more affordable for their residents, offering a menu of policy
options explored by states around the country. These approaches fall into six broad categories:
1. LOW-COST PLANS: New York’s Affordable Broadband Act caps the cost of internet plans for low-income households at $20 per month or less. Connecticut will soon require low-cost plans for qualifying low-income residents.
2. STATE LIFELINE REFORM: State Lifeline programs collect mandatory fees from telecommunications companies, which are generally passed on to consumer bills, to fund discounts on eligible low-income residents’ phone and internet bills. State programs supplement a similar Lifeline program at the federal level, which provides a $9.25-per-month discount. Oregon recently passed legislation to expand its Lifeline subsidy and offer discounts on devices to low-income residents.
3. ONE-TIME SUBSIDIES: States, including Maryland and South Carolina, have used or plan to use federal funding for short-term affordability programs. These efforts are inherently time-limited and rely on one-off funding streams.

4. LOW-INCOME HOUSING INCENTIVES: States like Pennsylvania and Indiana are using the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) to encourage developers to offer free or subsidized internet in affordable housing units.
5. CONSUMER PROTECTIONS and TRANSPARENCY MEASURES: States such as Arkansas, Virginia, and Tennessee have passed laws to improve pricing transparency and billing practices. These policies aim to empower consumers
to better understand the costs of internet service and avoid excess charges.
This approach may lower costs indirectly.
6. ENHANCED COMPETITION and CONSUMER CHOICE: Some states are fostering competition and affordability by permitting the market participation of municipal broadband providers and cooperatives, as well as investing in open-access, middle-mile infrastructure. Others offer deployment subsidies or regulatory relief to lower provider costs and encourage new entrants

They found…

States pursuing broadband affordability must consider key factors:
• Available state resources, such as fiscal and institutional capacity
• Local market landscape, including providers and their offerings
• The time horizon of affordability needs
• Positions of key political, industry, and consumer groups
• Implementation strategies for enrolling households and managing program
outreach

Broadband Breakfast reports on Gigi Sohn’s visit to Minnesota

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Broadband Breakfast reports on the MN Public Broadband Alliance meeting in Le Sueur County last week…

After years of broken promises from Washington, Gigi Sohn urged Minnesota leaders last week to take the state’s broadband future into their own hands.

“While Washington has failed you, Minnesota has the power – and the track record – to build its own broadband future,” she said. Sohn, executive director of the American Association for Public Broadband and a former Biden FCC nominee, delivered her remarks Sept. 10 in New Prague at What’s Next for Broadband in Minnesota, a forum hosted by the Minnesota Public Broadband Alliance.

Sohn pointed to the federal Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, launched in 2020, where providers defaulted on 80 percent of more than $400 million in Minnesota awards. “These numbers are nothing less than tragic,” she said.