Category Archives: FTTH

Paul Bunyan Communication expands broadband to 600 locations in Itasca and St. Louis Counties

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Paul Bunyan Communications announces…

Construction is finishing up on Paul Bunyan Communications’ all-fiber optic broadband expansion project in Itasca and St. Louis Counties, with the GigaZone® all-fiber optic Internet & WiFi becoming available to over 600 homes and businesses over the next few months.
The western most part of the project is done and services are now available. This includes portions of Carpenter Township and the unorganized township east of Carpenter Township.
Construction in Sturgeon Township and the western part of Alango Township is done with fiber splicing in progress. Service installations are expected to begin by early December.
Construction is finishing up in Field Township and northern Alango Township. Once completed fiber splicing will begin. Service installations are expected to begin over winter.
“We’re excited to be installing services in the areas we’ve completed so far, and we expect the project to be completed as planned,” said Chad Bullock, CEO of Paul Bunyan Communications. “Reliable internet is critical for work, education, healthcare, and staying connected, and we are proud to start delivering that through our all-fiber optic network to more homes and businesses in St. Louis and Itasca Counties.”
Those included in the expansion will have access to GigaZone® Internet and WiFi, offering speeds up to 10 Gig and the reliability needed to support today’s connected homes and businesses. Voice services, including unlimited local and long-distance calling, will also be available. Business customers will benefit from Managed IT Business Services such as VOIP, Disaster Backup and Recovery, and Network Management.
Residents and businesses in any of these areas can sign up anytime. If the cooperative cannot bring the network up the location before winter, crews will return to make that connection and install services in the spring.
To check availability or sign up for service, visit http://www.paulbunyan.net, call, or stop by the Grand Rapids Customer Service & Technology Center. There is no membership fee to join the cooperative; membership begins when subscribing to GigaZone® Internet or local phone service.
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.

Paul Bunyan Communication almost done on all-fiber broadband expansion in Central Aitkin County

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Paul Bunyan Communications announces…

Construction is winding down on Paul Bunyan Communications major all-fiber optic broadband expansion project in central Aitkin County, with the GigaZone® all-fiber optic Internet & WiFi becoming available to over 1,800 homes and businesses over the next few months.
This expansion covers a wide area of Central Aitkin County including the cities of McGregor, Palisade, and Tamarack, along with portions of Clark, Haugen, Jevne, Libby, Logan, McGregor, Shamrock, and Workman Townships.

  • City of Palisade and rural areas east, south, and west of Palisade.
    The project is completed with services now available.
  • City of McGregor
    Construction is done. Fiber splicing is underway with services anticipated becoming available by the end of the year.
  • Current Construction
    Our construction crews are working in the city of Tamarack and the Round Lake/Horseshoe Lake area of Shamrock Township. Services are expected to become available over the winter.
  • Permit Delays
    Unfortunately, we have run into unusually long delays in getting the necessary permits for a few areas of this project. This impacts around 600 locations and as a result we will have to wait until the 2027 construction season to complete those areas of the project. These areas are highlighted in purple on our online map at https://paulbunyan.net/gigazone/availability-map/
    “We’re nearing the finish line on a majority of this important project,” said Chad Bullock, CEO of Paul Bunyan Communications. “Reliable internet is critical for work, education, healthcare, and staying connected, and we’re proud to start delivering that to more homes and businesses in Aitkin County.”
    Those included in this expansion will have access to GigaZone® Internet and WiFi, offering speeds up to 10 Gig and the reliability needed to support today’s connected homes and businesses. Voice services, including unlimited local and long-distance calling, will also be available. Business customers will benefit from Managed IT Business Services such as VOIP, Disaster Backup and Recovery, and Network Management.
    Residents and businesses in any of these areas can sign up anytime. If the cooperative cannot bring the network up the location before winter, crews will return to make that connection and install services in the spring. There is no membership fee to join the cooperative; membership begins when subscribing to GigaZone® Internet or local phone service.
    To check availability or sign up for service, visit http://www.paulbunyan.net, call, or stop by the Grand Rapids Customer Service & Technology Center.

Updates on Paul Bunyan Communication’s Expansion to City of Hibbing

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Good news from Paul Bunyan Communications…

Paul Bunyan Communications has made great progress on expanding its GigaZone® all-fiber optic network in an area southwest of downtown Hibbing and is adding another area to the expansion construction this fall.
The new expansion area added to this year’s plan includes over 140 locations in an area south of Hwy 169 between MN Hwy 73 and 1st Avenue stretching just south of S 47th Street. It includes parts of 11th Ave W, Newberg Rd, Aspen Knoll, Opal Lane, Aspen Grove, Diamond CT, and Meadow Drive.
Construction will take place over the next few weeks with services expected to be available over the winter. To get connected, residents and businesses just need to sign up for service. That can be done online at https://paulbunyan.net/ or in person at our Grand Rapids Customer Service & Technology Center.
Construction is almost done on the first area of expansion that includes over 700 locations in an area that stretches from Hwy 169 east to 1st Avenue and north to 28th Street West. It includes portions of Ansley Rd, Corey Tracts Rd, 1st-9th Ave W, Dillon Rd, and 28th-41st St W.
There is no construction fee to get connected and there is no membership fee to join the cooperative. Membership begins when you subscribe to GigaZone® Internet or local phone service.
Once the new all-fiber optic network is operational, homes and businesses can get fast, dependable GigaZone® Internet and WiFi built to keep every device connected. Voice services, including unlimited local and long-distance will also be available. Business customers will gain access to Managed IT Business Services like VOIP, Disaster Backup and Recovery, and Network Management. In addition, Paul Bunyan Communications is an authorized DIRECTV dealer and certified Apple Service Center.
“It’s important for anyone in the expansion area who wants to get connected to sign up as soon as possible. By signing up before construction crews stop for the winter, you’ll be able to have your services installed once the network becomes operational. We will return to connect additional locations in the future, but those who wait to sign up may not be able to get connected until next summer,” said Brian Bissonette, Paul Bunyan Communications Marketing Supervisor.
For more than 70 years, Paul Bunyan Communications has brought the latest communications technology to communities across northern Minnesota. Today, the cooperative provides high-quality, reliable Internet & WiFi services across more than 6,000 square miles, including neighboring rural communities and cities such as Buhl, Cook, Britt, Marble, Nashwauk, and Keewatin.
The cooperative will expand even further in the city of Hibbing in 2027. More information on those plans will be released once finalized.

Willmar City Council approves moving forward with the Willmar Connect project

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The West Central Tribune reports…

 The Willmar City Council on Monday in split votes approved moving forward with planning for phase two of the Willmar Connect project.

Willmar Connect is the city’s initiative to install a city-wide, open-access broadband network on which multiple internet service providers can operate. It is owned by the city and managed by Hometown Fiber.

Phase one of the initiative, which will serve all homes and businesses west of First Street South between the railroad tracks and 19th Avenue Southwest, is under construction and expected to be mostly complete by December.

Phase two of the project is everything east of First Street and south of the railroad tracks. Phase three is everything north of the railroad tracks.

Monday night’s action approved the scope of work and professional services proposal from Hometown Fiber and the engineering services proposal from Bolton & Menk for phase two at a cost of $536,506.

Funding was approved…

City administration recommended funding this portion of the project using the Community Investment Fund and then reimbursing the fund later either with bond proceeds or revenue from the network. The motion to do that was approved unanimously.

The article goes on to detail the trials and tribulations of a buildout in a residential area and the financial conundrums of phasing fiber t less populated areas.

Intermountain Infrastructure Group (IIG) is building 250 miles of fiber in MN then expanding westward

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Stevens County Times reports...

Through the summer, crews working for Anderson Underground of Sauk Rapids have been installing four large conduits along Minnesota Highway 9 through Grant, Stevens, and Swift counties. They have also been working in the cities along the path.

Installation of the fiber conduit has raised a lot of questions about who is doing it and why. Many conversations have revolved around the conduit serving data centers that could be planned in the region.

Others say the project is part of the Heartland Fiber Project, a $700 million fiber-optic cable project that would run from Chicago through Minnesota to Montana and Wyoming.

After some research, the Stevens County Times learned that Billings, MT-based Intermountain Infrastructure Group (IIG) is behind the project.

“In Minnesota, IIG is installing about 250 miles of new fiber-optic cable to create a middle-mile network,” Brandon Coates, a spokesman for the company, told the Times in an email.

More details…

In October, the Minnesota Department of Transportation district office in Detroit Lakes prepared a permit for IIG to bury a fiber optic conduit along Minnesota Highway 9.

It is installing three high-density polyethylene (HDPE) conduits that are 2 inches in diameter, and one that is 2 inches in diameter with seven microfiber cables inside. The other conduits are empty.  The permit says that “One 432 Ct fiber will be placed in a 2” conduit, and another 432 Ct micro fiber will be placed in the 7-way.”

Coates was also very specific that the project has no link to data center construction that serves the exploding needs of the artificial intelligence industry.

Paul Bunyan Communications Starts Expansion Construction in Hibbing (St Louis County)

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Paul Bunyan Communications announces…

Paul Bunyan Communications has started expanding its GigaZone® all-fiber optic network in an area of southwest downtown Hibbing.
This expansion project includes over 800 locations in an area that stretches from Old Hwy 169 east to 1st Avenue and north to 28th Street West. It includes portions of Ansley Rd, Corey Tracts Rd, 1st-9th Ave W, Dillon Rd, and 28th-41st St W.
Construction will take place over the next few weeks with services expected to be available over the winter. To get connected, residents and businesses need to sign up for service. Sign up online at https://paulbunyan.net/ or in person at our Grand Rapids Customer Service & Technology Center. The cooperative is also holding an in-person sign up day event on Tuesday, October 13 from 3-7 p.m. at the Hibbing City Memorial Building at 400 East 23rd Street.
There is no construction fee to get connected and there is no membership fee to join the cooperative. Membership begins when you subscribe to GigaZone® Internet or local phone service.
Once the new all-fiber optic network is operational, homes and businesses can get fast, dependable GigaZone® Internet and WiFi built to keep every device connected. Voice services, including unlimited local and long-distance will also be available. Business customers will gain access to Managed IT Business Services like VOIP, Disaster Backup and Recovery, and Network Management. In addition, Paul Bunyan Communications is an authorized DIRECTV dealer and certified Apple Service Center.
“It’s important for anyone in the expansion area who wants to get connected to sign up within the next few weeks. By signing up before construction crews leave the area, you’ll be in the best position to have your services installed once the network becomes operational this winter. We will return to connect additional locations in the future, but those who wait to sign up may not be able to get connected until next summer,”said Brian Bissonette, Paul Bunyan Communications Marketing Supervisor.
For more than 70 years, Paul Bunyan Communications has brought the latest communications technology to communities across northern Minnesota. Today, the cooperative provides high-quality, reliable Internet & WiFi services across more than 6,000 square miles, including neighboring rural communities and cities such as Buhl, Cook, Britt, Marble, Nashwauk, and Keewatin.
The cooperative will expand further in the city of Hibbing in 2027. More information on those plans will be released once finalized.

Paul Bunyan Communications announces expansion to Hibbing (St Louis County)

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Paul Bunyan Communications announces...

Paul Bunyan Communications will be expanding its GigaZone® all-fiber optic network to the city of Hibbing and is asking residents and businesses complete a survey to help the cooperative determine the timeline and scope of the project.
The short online survey is available online at hibbingsurvey.com and will remain open through October 14.
“We serve portions of the rural areas around the city of Hibbing, and we’ve heard from several residents and businesses of the community who are interested in our service,” said Chad Bullock, CEO/General Manager of Paul Bunyan Communications. “This survey will give the entire Hibbing community an opportunity to let us know directly if they would like us to bring GigaZone all-fiber optic Internet & our full suite of technology services to their homes and businesses”.
The cooperative has already determined it will start expansion construction soon in two areas of the city of Hibbing that includes over 880 locations. To check to see if your location is in this fall’s expansion plans and to sign up visit https://paulbunyan.net/gigazone/availability-map/
For more than 70 years, Paul Bunyan Communications has brought the latest communications technology to communities across northern Minnesota. Today, the cooperative provides high-quality, reliable Internet & WiFi services across more than 6,000 square miles, including neighboring rural communities and cities such as Buhl, Cook, Britt, Marble, Nashwauk, and Keewatin.
As a member-owned cooperative, Paul Bunyan Communications carefully evaluates potential expansion opportunities. Community interest, available funding, construction logistics, and the need for services are among the factors considered when determining where to expand its all-fiber optic network.
“We want to hear from Hibbing,” Bullock added. “The more information we have about the level of interest throughout the city, the better we can establish the scope and timelines for the project”.
Hibbing residents and businesses interested in GigaZone® Internet & WiFi are encouraged to complete the short survey at hibbingsurvey.com. There is no obligation to sign up for service by completing the survey.
More information about Paul Bunyan Communications, including services and pricing is available at paulbunyan.net.

Ookla speed test ranks Minnesota 25 for fixed broadband speeds of 100/20 Mbps

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Ookla reports…

Using Ookla Speedtest Intelligence® data, this report identifies the states that are currently delivering the minimum standard for fixed and satellite broadband speeds as established by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to the highest percentage of Speedtest users. It also singles out the states that need the most improvement when it comes to delivering the minimum standard for broadband to residents.

Here are a few of their top takeaways:

  • Rural broadband access expanded across the U.S. in the first half of 2026. Nearly every state narrowed its digital divide, which is the gap in access to fast, reliable internet and modern digital technology between urban centers and rural or remote communities. When compared to the performance in the 2H of 2025, every state with the exception of California, Delaware, and Illinois, made progress. New Hampshire and Virginia led the nation in gains, with New Hampshire reducing its gap from 11.5 to 4.8 percentage points.
  • Overall broadband expansion is slowing, particularly in top-performing states. For instance, top-ranked Connecticut saw its proportion of qualifying users creep up just over 1% from 73.4% in 2H 2025 to 74.7% in 1H 2026, while second-place New Jersey edged up from 72.8% to 73.5%.

Minnesota ranks 25 for access to fixed broadband at of 100/20 Mbps with the following:

  • Broadband divide: 15.7 points
  • Urban broadband: 76.3 percent
  • Rural broadband: 60.6 percent

Minnesota ranks 5 for access to users achieving Starlink LEO broadband speeds of 100/20 Mbps with 55.0 percent.

Paul Bunyan Communications nearing completion on FTTH broadband expansion in central Aitkin County

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Paul Bunyan Communications announces…

Construction is nearing completion on Paul Bunyan Communications major all-fiber optic broadband expansion project in central Aitkin County, bringing the GigaZone® all-fiber optic network one step closer to more than 1,800 homes and businesses.
This expansion is taking place across a wide area of Central Aitkin County including the cities of McGregor, Palisade, and Tamarack, along with portions of Clark, Haugen, Jevne, Libby, Logan, McGregor, Shamrock, and Workman Townships.
City of Palisade and rural areas east, south, and west of Palisade
The project is completed with services now available.
City of McGregor
Construction is done. Fiber splicing is underway with services anticipated becoming available by the end of the year.
Current Construction
Our construction crews are working east of Sandy Lake reservoir and around the town of Tamarack. They will soon be starting work in the Round Lake/Horseshoe Lake area of Shamrock Township.
Permit Delays
Unfortunately, we have run into unusually long delays in getting the necessary permits for a few areas of this project. This impacts around 600 locations and as a result we will have to wait until the 2027 construction season to complete those areas of the project. These areas are highlighted in purple on our online map at https://paulbunyan.net/gigazone/availability-map/
“We’re excited to be nearing the finish line on this important project,” said Chad Bullock, CEO of Paul Bunyan Communications. “This expansion reflects our continued commitment to bringing essential, high-speed broadband to underserved areas. Reliable internet is critical for work, education, healthcare, and staying connected, and we’re proud to deliver that through our all-fiber optic network.”
Once activated, customers will have access to GigaZone® Internet and WiFi, offering speeds up to 10 Gig and the reliability needed to support today’s connected homes and businesses. Voice services, including unlimited local and long-distance calling, will also be available. Business customers will benefit from Managed IT Business Services such as VOIP, Disaster Backup and Recovery, and Network Management.
Residents and businesses are encouraged to sign up now if they have not already done so to ensure timely connection as service becomes available. There is no membership fee to join the cooperative; membership begins when subscribing to GigaZone® Internet or local phone service.
To check availability or sign up for service, visit http://www.paulbunyan.net, call, or stop by the Grand Rapids Customer Service & Technology Center.

Paul Bunyan Communications is almost done with broadband expansion in Hubbard County

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Paul Bunyan Communications announces…

broadband expansion project in Hubbard County, bringing the GigaZone® all-fiber optic network one step closer to more than 220 homes and businesses.
This expansion is taking place in two areas of Hubbard County:
Areas of Henrietta and Todd Townships south of Fishhook Lake
The area south of Fishhook Lake is finished and services are now available. Todd Township construction will begin soon and is expected to be completed by the end of construction season.
Areas south and west of Long Lake in Hubbard Township. Construction is almost done. Fiber splicing will follow with services anticipated becoming available by the end of the year.
“We’re excited to be nearing the finish line on this important project,” said Chad Bullock, CEO of Paul Bunyan Communications. “This expansion reflects our continued commitment to bringing essential, high-speed broadband to underserved areas. Reliable internet is critical for work, education, healthcare, and staying connected, and we’re proud to deliver that through our all-fiber optic network.”
Once activated, customers will have access to GigaZone® Internet and WiFi, offering speeds up to 10 Gig and the reliability needed to support today’s connected homes and businesses. Voice services, including unlimited local and long-distance calling, will also be available. Business customers will benefit from Managed IT Business Services such as VOIP, Disaster Backup and Recovery, and Network Management.
“This project represents a significant upgrade for these townships,” said Leo Anderson, Chief Technology Officer of Paul Bunyan Communications. “Our all-fiber optic network is built for performance and future growth, ensuring these communities have the connectivity they need for years to come.”
Residents and businesses are encouraged to sign up now if they have not already done so to ensure timely connection as service becomes available. There is no membership fee to join the cooperative; membership begins when subscribing to GigaZone® Internet or local phone service.
To check availability or sign up for service, visit http://www.paulbunyan.net, call, or stop by the cooperative’s headquarters in Bemidji.
This project is made possible through a USDA ReConnect Round 3 grant award. The portion of construction built with grant dollars will be an estimated $500,000.

Paul Bunyan Communications is nearing completion on broadband expansion in Itasca and St. Louis Counties

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From Paul Bunyan Communications…

Construction is nearing completion on the major all-fiber optic broadband expansion project in Itasca and St. Louis Counties, bringing the GigaZone® all-fiber optic network one step closer to more than 600 homes and businesses.
The western most part of the project is done and services are now available. This includes portions of Carpenter Township and the unorganized township east of Carpenter Township.
Construction in Sturgeon Township and the western part of Alango Township is done with fiber splicing underway. Service installations are expected to begin by the end of October.
Construction is now taking place in Field Township and northern Alango Township. Once completed fiber splicing will begin. Service installations are expected to begin over winter.
“We’re excited to be nearing the finish line on this important project,” said Chad Bullock, CEO of Paul Bunyan Communications. “This expansion reflects our continued commitment to bringing essential, high-speed broadband to underserved areas. Reliable internet is critical for work, education, healthcare, and staying connected, and we are proud to deliver that through our all-fiber optic network.”
Once activated, customers will have access to GigaZone® Internet and WiFi, offering speeds up to 10 Gig and the reliability needed to support today’s connected homes and businesses. Voice services, including unlimited local and long-distance calling, will also be available. Business customers will benefit from Managed IT Business Services such as VOIP, Disaster Backup and Recovery, and Network Management.
“This project represents a significant upgrade for these townships,” said Leo Anderson, Chief Technology Officer of Paul Bunyan Communications. “Our all-fiber optic network is built for performance and future growth, ensuring these communities have the connectivity they need for years to come.”
Residents and businesses are encouraged to sign up now if they have not already done so to ensure timely connection as service becomes available. There is no membership fee to join the cooperative; membership begins when subscribing to GigaZone® Internet or local phone service.
To check availability or sign up for service, visit http://www.paulbunyan.net, call, or stop by the Grand Rapids Customer Service & Technology Center.
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.

Comcast expands gig broadband to Mayer (Carver County)

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The Patriot reports…

Comcast is expanding reliable, high-speed Internet to nearly 1,000 homes and businesses in Mayer, bringing its multi-gigabit, symmetrical Internet to the community.

Construction is scheduled to begin in August, and the project is expected to be completed by fall 2027.

Once complete, Comcast’s full suite of residential Xfinity services will be available in Mayer, including high-speed Internet, streaming, mobile, voice and home security — delivering reliable, connected experiences for today’s consumers at home or on the go.

Minnesota Releases Draft Proposed Federal Broadband Funding Package

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From the Department of Education and Employment Development…

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) today released the state’s draft final proposal for using federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program funds to expand broadband availability.

The proposal would extend broadband access to 75,000 Minnesota homes and businesses, covering every location eligible for BEAD funding in the state. DEED is accepting public comment on the proposal for seven days, after which it will finalize and submit the plan to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) for approval before the end of the year. Construction could begin in late spring or early summer 2026.

“Fast broadband will be a welcome resource for the thousands of Minnesota residents and businesses who will soon have access,” said DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek. “This funding will help us connect thousands of Minnesota families and businesses to the internet in new, important ways.”

DEED’s proposal will use an estimated $381 million in federal BEAD grants and utilize a mixture of broadband technology, with more than half of covered locations utilizing fiber optic. Eligible locations are classified by the BEAD program as unserved (with broadband speeds slower than 25 megabits [Mbps] per second download and 3 Mbps upload) or underserved (with speeds slower than 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload).

“We are excited that 75,000 Minnesotans will soon have faster broadband because of BEAD,” said Office of Broadband Development Executive Director Bree Maki. “We are grateful to our internet service provider partners for their hard work and commitment to the Minnesotans we all serve. We will continue working hard, together, to make smart, effective investments so every Minnesotan can access broadband.”

The Office of Broadband Development will host regional, in-person informational sessions on the draft final proposal over the next week. These sessions will provide an overview of the proposal, steps for public comment and next steps for BEAD in Minnesota.

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