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Category Archives: FTTH

Lismore Cooperative Telephone updates Nobles County Board on FTTP network and line extension progress

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The Globe reports…

The Nobles County Board of Commissioners received an update on Lismore Cooperative Telephone’s Fiber to Home broadband project at their Tuesday meeting. Lismore Cooperative – the firm that will own and operate the broadband services involved – General Manager Travis Halbur and Finley Engineering associates presented.

Whitney Adler, the project manager with Finley, said there are two projects going at the same time: the Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP) project and a line extension project .

The FTTP project – which kicked off in August 2025 – will cover roughly 650 total route miles, with about 123 miles going specifically to people’s homes. Around 1,443 potential customers will be impacted.

As of right now, the project is in phase one.

“Most of the design, permitting, contracts is all complete; construction is going on,” Adler said. “We’re about 71% through phase one construction, 28% through the overall, all four phases. Phase two will be starting real soon in the near future.”

According to Adler, the project has exhausted a quarter of its $13 million grant so far. About $9.85 million remains in the budget.

“We have three mainline (plow) crews going, one drop crew, a few splicing crews, and the goal ultimately is to get about three to four miles plowed per day just to get the customers of Nobles County basically in line with fiber,” Adler said.

The line extension project covers 16.5 route miles and 4.5 total drop miles, serving an estimated 56 potential customers. With two mainline plow crews, the project’s expected completion is no later than Dec. 31, 2026.

Doug Dawson from CCG Consulting looks at the FCC definition of broadband

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Doug Dawson from CCG Consulting looks at the FCC definition of broadband…

The FCC definition of broadband of 100/25 Mbps was adopted in March 2024. However, Commissioner Rosenworcel had been pushing for the increase to 100/20 Mbps for several years before that. It had been clear to everybody but the Ajit Pai FCC that the 25/3 Mbps definition of broadband was obsolete when the FCC’s mapping in 2022 showed that 90% of homes already had access to 100 Mbps download speed.

All of this leads me to ask if the 100/20 Mbps definition is already obsolete. Recent data from OpenVault says that 43% of U.S. households now subscribe to speeds faster than 500 Mbps download and 70% of homes subscribe to speeds of 200 Mbps or faster. It’s hard to look at these statistics and think that 100/20 Mbps should be the standard.

Unfortunately, the definition of broadband has political and financial overtones. A higher definition of broadband would declare that certain technologies are not really acceptable broadband. If we buy the arguments from NTCA and NRECA, then satellite broadband and FWA cellular would no longer be considered broadband. A huge percentage of cable company networks still have upload speeds far below 100 Mbps, even though there are numerous technology fixes for them to upgrade to faster, and even symmetrical speeds.

In a perfect world, the definition of broadband would be increased regularly to reflect that reality of the marketplace. But that’s not going to happen with this FCC, and in fact, in 2025, Commission Carr asked if the 100/20 Mbps definition is too high.

What is the right definition of broadband?. The easiest starting point for looking at download speeds is to look at the historical evolution of the definition of broadband from 4/1 Mbps, to 25/3 Mbps, to 100/20 Mbps. I’ve shown the following chart before that just trends forward that historic growth trend. If the definition of download speed continues on the same growth curve as from 1996 to 2022 (when the definition should have been 100 Mbps), the following definition of broadband is projected.

This suggests the minimum definition of download broadband for 2027 would be 250 Mbps. That doesn’t seem at all out of line considering the OpenVault numbers that say that 70% of U.S. homes already subscribe to speeds faster than 200 Mbps.

Here’s the Minnesota broadband speed goals…

237.012 BROADBAND GOALS.

Subdivision 1.Universal access and high-speed goal.

It is a state goal that:

(1) no later than 2022, all Minnesota businesses and homes have access to high-speed broadband that provides minimum download speeds of at least 25 megabits per second and minimum upload speeds of at least three megabits per second; and

(2) no later than 2026, all Minnesota businesses and homes have access to at least one provider of broadband with download speeds of at least 100 megabits per second and upload speeds of at least 20 megabits per second.

It’s worth nothing that in Minnesota, that “unserved locations” are defined as

households or businesses lack access to wire-line broadband service at speeds of at least 100 megabits per second download and at least 20 megabits per second upload.

That

Will the workforce be ready for building data centers and rural networks when BEAD projects hit the streets?

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RCR Wireless News reports…

The US has two infrastructure priorities converging on one scarce resource: people who know how to build networks. AI data centers are sucking skilled workers into a construction boom, just as the long-delayed BEAD initiative finally starts moving into deployment. And actually, it is not just about the fiber technicians; the same labor pool includes electricians, HVAC specialists, surveyors, trenchers, engineers, and other trades needed to build broadband networks. The numbers are already uncomfortable. The industry was estimated in 2024 to be short around 58,000 workers to meet BEAD’s goals. AT&T plans to add 3,000 technicians this year. Meta has its own fiber-training programme. Meanwhile, the US telco workforce has fallen from 1.4 million in 2001 to fewer than 598,000 in 2025.

There is a stark economic imbalance here, of course. A hyperscaler or major carrier building AI infrastructure can afford recruitment, training, and wages that smaller community-based broadband operators cannot. Every worker pulled toward a lucrative data-center project is potentially one less available for a rural fiber build. And this is before the AI construction boom really peaks. Economist Anirban Basu expects labor pressure to worsen in 2027 as AI infrastructure spending expands. So the irony is clear: America’s AI infrastructure boom could make it harder, slower, and more expensive to deliver the connectivity needed by Americans still waiting for broadband.

Some data centers looking at requesting exclusive use of incoming fiber to possible detriment of local communities

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Fierce Network reports on how hyperscale data centers in rural areas could impact broadband access in those areas…

Hyperscalers are prohibiting fiber off-ramps to towns and cities as they build their networks to data centers, according to a telecom attorney and a telecom investor who spoke at Mountain Connect this week in Denver.

The choice to by-pass the off-ramps is intentional. Some hyperscalers are putting clauses in their contracts with fiber builders to prohibit off-ramps to towns and cities on the fiber route.

“They control it. They’ve invested in it. They don’t want anybody else to use it,” said Casey Lide, partner with the Washington, DC law firm Keller & Heckman.

Hyperscalers are not only putting clauses in their contracts, prohibiting anyone else from tapping that conduit for fiber spurs, but they’re also prohibiting their contractors from installing shadow conduit that could be used to serve communities, said Lide.*

US Senate Panel talks about permitting Reform and fiber to supporting growth of AI

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Broadband Breakfast reports…

The rapid growth of artificial intelligence is putting unprecedented pressure on U.S. communications networks, telecommunications leaders told a Senate panel Thursday.

Industry witnesses told officials of the Senate Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Media that AI’s growing use across businesses and households is reshaping internet traffic in ways existing networks were not designed to handle, making broadband deployment and modernization increasingly urgent.

Kandiyohi County Board approves fiber expansion to Svea

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Yahoo News reports...

Fiber internet is spreading farther in Whitefield Township through Svea. An expanded infrastructure project has been approved by the Kandiyohi County Board and will pass by 70 additional properties from the originally intended 52, for a total of 122 passings.

More on the project…

In April of this year, the voted to approve the installation of fiber internet around Svea in partnership with Vibrant Broadband and Whitefield Township. The original project used American Rescue Plan Act funds, according to Kandiyohi County Administrator Kelsey Baker.

More details…

The expansion of the project will cost the county $88,927.98. This is in addition to the $100,800 in rescue plan dollars approved for the original plan. The new costs will be drawn from the county’s reserve funds as one-time expenditures.

“There was some leftover ARPA dollars for broadband at the time we had to make a commitment. Those dollars went into reserve and now they are coming back out. It is not new levy dollars being used here,” Kandiyohi County Commissioner Roger Imdieke said during the discussion Tuesday.

The cost to the county is matched funds. Kandiyohi County and Vibrant Broadband each will pay for 28% of the project expansion. Whitefield Township pays 9% of the costs, and the state Broadband Line Extension Connection Program will pay 35%.

The original project cost a total of $210,000. The project expansion will cost an additional $312,532.26. Together, the total project is now $522,532.26.

Update from Paul Bunyan Communications on Broadband Expansion in Itasca and St. Louis Counties

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Update from Paul Bunyan Communications…

Paul Bunyan Communications started construction in late April on expanding the all-fiber optic network, the GigaZone®, to over 600 more locations in Itasca and St. Louis County across five townships.
This project includes areas south and west of the city of Cook including parts of the following townships: Alango, Carpenter, Field, Sturgeon, and an unorganized township east of Carpenter.
Currently crews are working in Sturgeon, Field, and Alango townships. The construction phase of the project is expected to be completed within the next 4-6 weeks with services expected to become available by winter. There is no construction fee to get connected, by signing up for services a location gets on the construction list.
The first stage of the construction process is installing the main fiber network which is followed by installing the connections up to individual homes and businesses that have signed up to be connected. Once those two stages are completed, our clean up/restoration crews will come through, and our team will work to splice the fiber network. Once it is operational in a project area, customers who signed up for service will be contacted to schedule service installations. A video on how the construction process works is located on the Paul Bunyan Communications YouTube channel at:

For those unfamiliar with Paul Bunyan Communications, we are a member-owned broadband cooperative that has served northern Minnesota since 1952. There are no membership fees or annual dues, membership is gained when a resident or business subscribes to local phone service or GigaZone® Broadband Internet service. The cooperative headquarters is in Bemidji with a Customer Service & Technology Center located in Grand Rapids.
Sign Up Now to Ensure Fiber Optic Connection Residents and businesses in these expansion areas are encouraged to sign up for service now, before construction crews move on to ensure the fiber optic connection is brought up to the location. That can be done quickly and easily online at paulbunyan.net or in person at one of our office locations.
Services Available Upon Completion Once the network is live, customers will have access to Paul Bunyan’s GigaZone® services, including high-speed fiber-optic Internet with speeds up to 10 Gig and dependable, low-cost unlimited local and long-distance GigaZone® voice services.
This project is made possible through the State of Minnesota, Department of Employment & Economic Development, Low-Density Population Broadband Infrastructure Development Grant Program. This project is estimated to cost $7,810,355, with the State of Minnesota’s Low-Population Density Program grant contributing $3,924,157, Paul Bunyan Communications investing $2,203,928, Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation (IRRR) investing $1,000,000, St. Louis County investing $583,250, Alango Township $41,200, Field Township $17,800, and Sturgeon Township $40,000.

Update from Paul Bunyan Communications on Broadband Expansion in Central Aitkin County

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From Paul Bunyan Communications…

Paul Bunyan Communications broadband expansion across Central Aitkin County is progressing as planned. The project area includes the cities of McGregor, Palisade, and Tamarack, as well as portions of Clark, Haugen, Jevne, Libby, Logan, McGregor, Shamrock, and Workman Townships. Once completed over 2,400 homes & businesses will have access to the all-fiber optic network and the services it provides.
Currently crews are working in areas south of Sandy Lake Reservoir and west of Lake Minnewawa. They are still working north of McGregor and will soon be heading east towards Tamarack. Construction in the city of McGregor is almost done.
Paul Bunyan Communications will be at the Aitkin Chamber of Commerce Riverboat Days on Saturday, August 1 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. in the vendor fair area and we will be at Palisade Riverfest on Saturday, August 8 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Please stop by to learn about our expansion, services, and cooperative plus pick up a free fast charging power cube while supplies last.
The first stage of the construction process is installing the main fiber network which is followed by installing the connections up to individual homes and businesses that have signed up to be connected. Once those two stages are completed, our clean up/restoration crews will come through, and our team will work to splice the fiber network. Once it is operational in a project area, customers who signed up for service will be contacted to schedule service installations. A video on how the construction process works is located on the Paul Bunyan Communications YouTube channel at:

Paul Bunyan Communications is a member-owned broadband cooperative that has served northern Minnesota since 1952. There are no membership fees or annual dues, membership is gained when a resident or business subscribes to local phone service or GigaZone® Broadband Internet service. The cooperative headquarters is in Bemidji with a Customer Service & Technology Center located in Grand Rapids.
Sign Up Now to Ensure Fiber Optic Connection Residents and businesses in these expansion areas are encouraged to sign up for service now, before construction crews move on to ensure the fiber optic connection is brought up to the location. That can be done quickly and easily online at paulbunyan.net or in person at one of our office locations.
Services Available Upon Completion Once the network is live, customers will have access to Paul Bunyan’s GigaZone® services, including high-speed fiber-optic Internet with speeds up to 10 Gig and dependable, low-cost unlimited local and long-distance GigaZone® voice services.

July 21 EVENT: Kandiyohi County Board to discuss broadband project expansion

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The West Central Tribune reports…

The Kandiyohi County Board is expected to take action Tuesday on the 2026 Svea Fiber Internet Project.

A proposal to expand the project will be brought before the board at its regular meeting on July 21 in Willmar.

In a regular meeting in April, the Kandiyohi County Board approved the original project totaling $210,000. Of that, the county would be responsible for $100,800 of funding.

The new proposal in front of the board on Tuesday would allow the original project to pass by an additional 70 homes in Whitefield Township at a cost of $1,271 per passing for the county.

The county is responsible for 28% of the costs for the expansion, according to meeting materials posted with the agenda, and Vibrant Broadband for another 28%.

The largest contributor to the project is a grant, secured by Vibrant Broadband, from the state Broadband Line Extension Connection Program, which is expected to pay 35% of the costs.

According to the materials, the project in total would cost $312,532.26. Of the total, Kandiyohi County would be responsible for $88,972.98.

The meeting begins at 9 a.m. Tuesday at the Kandiyohi County Health and Human Services Building, 2200 23rd St. N.E. in Willmar.

EVENT July 7: Control + Shift + ALTernative: Building Community-Owned Fiber

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From the Institute for Local Self Reliance…

July 7th, 2026 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM EST

The latest installment in a joint webinar series from the American Association for Public Broadband (AAPB) and the Community Broadband Networks initiative at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) will showcase a new financing and governance model being put into real-world action that allows for communities to control their digital futures.

The free, one-hour live webinar — “Control + Shift + ALTernative: Building Community-Owned Fiber” — will go behind the scenes of two real-world community fiber projects to tease out the practical lessons that other communities can learn from.

The webinar will feature four practitioners who have been in the trenches of community broadband development: Jim Cannon, CEO of Pivot-Tech; Scott Corbitt, General Manager of the Port of Lewiston; Christina Burns, Kendall County Administrator; and Chris Perlitz, Managing Director at Municipal Capital Markets Group, Inc.

The conversation will be grounded in two case studies — Kendall County and Lewiston — that together illustrate what it actually takes to move a community fiber project from idea to operating network, using a creative “63-20” tax-exempt bond model championed by Pivot-Tech Development, which specializes in public-private partnerships for community-owned broadband networks.

Click to register

NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth updates Congress about BEAD

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I’m borrowing from Benton Institute’s recap of NTIA’s Administrator, Arielle Roth, update to Congress on BEAD from June 30, 2026…

The House Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications and Technology convened an oversight hearing focused on the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and Administrator Arielle Roth was the sole witness. NTIA oversees the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, which was intended to provide grants for last-mile deployment in unserved and underserved areas. On June 6, 2025, the Trump NTIA issued new guidance for the BEAD Program. The guidance removed many Biden-era requirements, including a fiber technology preference and low-income plans. The June 2025 guidance directed eligible entities to run an additional “benefit-of-the-bargain” bidding round to ensure that awards reflected the changes made by the Administration and to submit final proposals by September 4, 2025. In the year since issuing the new guidance, NTIA has approved 54 out of 56 final proposals submitted by eligible entities, BEAD-funded infrastructure in two states has been deployed, and the program expects to “save” approximately $21 billion on deployment costs. What to do with the remaining money is to be determined. NTIA held a listening session to gather input on how this “nondeployment” money could be used by states, and is expected to provide guidance soon. Ideas include public safety, deployment to homes and businesses that may have been missed following the initial bidding round, workforce development, and permitting reform. The hearing, in part, was aiming at determining the  status of BEAD deployment and nondeployment funding.

The rest of the notes highlight different views of BEAD. Some folks are focused on saving as much money as possible. Some folks are focused on getting better broadband to everyone. Everyone seems frustrated with the slow timeline. And most folks were hoping for more information on the plan for nondeployment funds from BEAD…

During questioning from Members of the Subcommittee, Administrator Roth said guidance on nondeployment funding will come “this summer.” She deferred specifics on the question of whether those funds will be held back from states that enact regulations on artificial intelligence, as directed by a presidential executive order. “We want the funding … to produce real measurable outcomes, be non-duplicative, non-distortionary….” Roth said. She added, “we’re proceeding cautiously in producing the guidance so that we can ensure that this funding achieves the same success as the first segment of the BEAD Program.”

Work progresses with ImOn Communications’ FTTH deployment across the Twin Ports

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I wrote about this deployment last week, but here’s a slight update from WDIO…

Crews are busy installing fiber cables across Duluth, to make sure people can have high speed Internet services through ImOn.

Dave Ball, Sales and Operations Manager for ImOn Communications, added, “Every single customer is going to have their own fiber line going directly into their house. They’re not going to have to share bandwidth with their neighbors and other businesses. And, you know, we’re going up to speeds up to five gig and five gig symmetrical. And nobody in this area is up to those speeds.”

ImOn is investing $120 million dollars into the Northland. WDIO caught up with them in the Kenwood neighborhood on Wednesday. …

Connection to the customers will begin in August, according to Ball. They are doing about half of Duluth this year, and Superior. And then the other half of Duluth next year.

Based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the company has also pledged $100,000 to community organizations and non-profits.

The USDA announces a reorganization of Rural Development to consolidate loan and grant processes

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The USDA reports...

Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Development Mission Area announced a modernization and restructuring effort to strengthen customer service, improve program accessibility, and enhance support for rural communities across the country. This effort aligns with USDA’s broader initiative to modernize operations, increase accountability, and ensure federal resources are positioned where they can deliver the greatest impact.

Rural Development maintains one of the largest field-based presences in the federal government, with more than 3,000 employees serving in over 400 offices throughout rural America. Under this modernization effort, Rural Development will maintain its National Capital Region (NCR) presence to be responsive to Congress, interagency needs, regulatory work, and policy coordination, while relocating select NCR-based positions to St. Louis, Missouri, and Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas.  These new locations will serve as operational hubs supporting loan and grant processing, program management, and maintain our mission of serving rural communities.

“When rural communities collaborate with USDA they deserve a streamlined experience. With this reorganization, that’s exactly what they’ll get,” said Deputy Secretary Stephen A. Vaden. “Realigning Rural Development’s reviews, approvals, and servicing structure, together with significant improvements in the agency’s IT systems, will help rural America achieve more without government getting in the way.”

“Rural Development is, by name and by function, fully focused on the rural communities we serve,” said Todd Lindsey, Acting Under Secretary for Rural Development. “This reorganization injects new attention to our systems and processes that will eliminate unnecessary layers of bureaucracy, improve our ability to engage with our customers, and conduct responsible oversight of federal investments.”

This action follows USDA’s July 24, 2025, announcement outlining the Department’s intent to reorganize around four pillars: aligning workforce size with available resources, relocating resources closer to customers, eliminating excess management layers, and consolidating support functions. Rural Development’s restructuring reflects these priorities and positions the mission area to better meet emerging operational demands while continuing its support for rural America.

Maintaining Strong Field Presence

Program delivery employees in state and regional offices will not be required to relocate, as they already operate in the rural communities they serve. Field staff will continue to lead constituent engagement, stakeholder outreach, and marketing of RD programs. This structure builds on successful models used by national-level RD programs such as Single-Family Housing Guaranteed Loans, Multi-Family Housing Guaranteed Loans, the Electric Program, and the Telecom Program, where program funds are administered centrally.

Streamlining Loan and Grant Processing

Rural Development will consolidate loan origination, processing, and servicing functions under one centralized national framework. Current processes has contributed to inconsistent underwriting and costly delays. Centralization will strengthen quality control, reduce delinquency, and protect taxpayer dollars while ensuring borrowers receive consistent, high-quality service.

Improving IT Systems

A key component of this modernization is a significant investment in Rural Development’s IT infrastructure. USDA is launching the transformation of over 130 loan and grant systems that support farmers, ranchers, and rural communities into one modern platform built for the 21st century. This upgrade will enable customers to submit applications, track cases, access records, and resolve issues online 24/7 without staff intervention. Modernized IT will reduce delays created by outdated systems and enhance consistency and speed across programs.

Aligning With Executive Orders

In accordance with USDA’s broader reorganization effort, this restructuring reflects multiple directives focused on government efficiency, workforce optimization, and improved federal service delivery, including initiatives on cost efficiency, hiring reform, and returning federal operations to in-person work.

Together, these changes strengthen Rural Development’s ability to deliver loans, grants, and technical assistance efficiently and effectively—enhancing customer experience, improving program access, and ensuring rural America has a strong and trusted partner in USDA.

ImOn communications breaks ground on $100 million fiber network in Duluth to serve 51,000 homes by 2027 (St Louis County)

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Northern New Now reports…

A broadband provider is breaking ground on a new fiber network in Duluth, part of what the company estimates is a $100 million investment in local internet infrastructure.

ImOn communications announced the project Wednesday.

The company says the new fiber build will reach about 25,000 homes this year. In 2027, it expects to connect another 26,000.

During construction, crews will install both underground and aerial fiber using existing utility poles. The project will roll out in sections, with work already underway near UMD.
ImOn says residents will get notice before construction begins on their street. Residents interested in service can sign up online.

Mediacom Communications announces 5-Gig in parts of Scott, Waseca, Nicollet, Le Sueur and McLeod Counties

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Global Newswire reports...

Mediacom Communications today announced the launch of its new 5-Gig Internet service, the fastest residential speed tier ever offered by Mediacom, reinforcing its continued investment in next-generation network capabilities to meet evolving consumer needs.

The new 5-Gig Internet service will be made immediately available to more than 500,000 homes passed nationally. Many Minnesota communities including Belle Plaine, Hutchinson, Montgomery, St. Peter, and Waseca will be included in the initial rollout. Mediacom expects to extend 5-Gig availability to more than one million homes by the end of the year as part of its multi-gig deployment strategy.