Category Archives: MN Broadband Fund Awards

More on MN Broadband grants in Pine and Aitkin Counties

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Moose Lake Star Gazette reports…

The state has recently awarded a $3.6 million grant to expand broadband internet service in currently unserved or underserved portions of Pine and Aitkin counties.

The grant has been issued by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development’s Office of Broadband Development. Officials indicate the funding will allow Savage Communications Inc. to deliver high-speed service to 1,069 locations within the townships of Barry, Finlayson, Hinckley, Kettle River, Norman, Partridge, Pine Lake, Sturgeon Lake, and Wagner, and the city of Rutledge. DEED said SCI plans to offer initial internet speeds of 1 Gbps download and 1 Gbps upload. Farms and businesses are in the project area, as are three township halls.

“It’s great to see more local sites that have lacked access to high-speed internet soon will receive upgraded service,” Dotseth said. “It’s imperative, in today’s electronic age, for residents and businesses in our area to have access to reliable high-speed internet so we can at least be on par with other parts of the state and the world instead of being at a disadvantage.”

The SCI company currently provides service to over 40 communities throughout East Central and Northern Minnesota. Pine County is contributing $75,000 toward the project, which is estimated to cost $7.3 million, DEED said.

Mankato Free Press support MN Broadband Grants (Blue Earth, Faribault, Waseca Brown and Cottonwood counties)

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Mankato Free Press posts a positive editorial on the MN Broadband grants, especially those in Blue Earth, Faribault, Waseca Brown and Cottonwood counties.

Thumbs up to more counties in south-central Minnesota getting broadband access.

The projects are thanks to state funding from the Legislature and Gov. Tim Walz.

Blue Earth, Faribault, Waseca Brown and Cottonwood counties’ businesses are among area recipients of more than $50 million in grants to expand broadband access in the state.

The grants will expand broadband access to an estimated 8,900 homes and businesses.

Twenty-four broadband expansion projects will receive grants from the Department of Employment and Economic Development’s Office of Broadband Development.

Easton Telephone Company in Blue Earth and Faribault counties received $435,838 and Hanson Communications in Brown and Cottonwood counties received $395,138 from the Border-to-Border program. Bevcomm Inc. in Waseca County received $4,385,444 from the Low Population Density program.

Slowly, but steadily the state’s rural areas have seen improved broadband access through federal, state and local funding.

More information on Nuvera’s MN Broadband grant in Goodhue County

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The Republican Eagle reports…

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development has awarded Nuvera Communications Inc. a $1.9 million grant through the Office of Broadband to bring fiber broadband to unserved and underserved areas in Goodhue County.

And more on the network…

The DEED grant funds will go towards the total project cost of $2.5 million and the remainder of the funding will come from a local match provided by Nuvera and Goodhue County. The project will build fiber service west of White Rock and reach Bell Creek, Cannon Falls, Leon, and Vasa Township areas. There are 86 households, 41 farms, and 9 businesses in the buildout area. …

The grant funds come from DEED’s Low Population Density Program which provides grants to companies building broadband in areas of the state with low population and high broadband deployment costs.

More on Arvig MN Broadband Grant in Mower and Stearns Counties

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Yahoo Finance reports…

Arvig has been awarded grants from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development’s (DEED) Office of Broadband Development. The company will invest the funding in fiber-to-the-home expansion to bring Gigabit-level internet speeds to three Minnesota counties.

Arvig received three grants totaling more than $4.3 million from two DEED programs: the Border to Border Broadband and Low Population Density programs. Arvig will invest another $870,075 for additional project costs.

With the funding, an estimated 417 structures will be served, and about 105 route miles of fiber will be constructed. The project area includes the Grand Meadow area in Mower County, the rural Elrosa, Sauk Centre, and Roscoe areas in Stearns County and the village of Naytahwaush in Mahnomen County. …

When complete, homes and businesses in those counties will have access to internet service with speeds of up to 10 Gigabits per second download and 1 Gigabit upload, as well as television, phone and business services. This Arvig network build will exceed the state’s minimum speed target of offering at least 100Mbps per second download and upload speeds of at least 20 megabits per second.

Construction will begin in 2025 after all permits have been acquired and required environmental studies have been completed. The projects are scheduled to be completed by June 2026.

More on CTC MN Broadband grant in St. Louis, Morrison, and Crow Wing counties

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The Brainerd Dispatch reports…

Consolidated Telephone Company (CTC) was one of the grant recipients, receiving $2,292,790 in funding. This will be combined with an equal amount in matching funds from CTC, Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board, and St. Louis County. When successfully completed, the $4.6 million project will provide internet services – with speeds of up to 1Gig – to over 300 homes and businesses in portions of St. Louis, Morrison, and Crow Wing counties.

“It’s an honor to receive this award as it helps to further our mission of connecting more communities, especially in rural areas,” said Kristi Westbrock, CEO and General Manager at CTC. “We’re confident that better internet services will enhance the lives of everyone that lives, works, and visits these areas.”

Once complete, the project will allow rural residents to work and learn from home, access telehealth options, safely live in their homes longer, and increase communication. Access to reliable broadband is also proven to boost economic development, enabling businesses to reach new markets, gain new customers, streamline operations, and complete basic functions more effectively and efficiently.

Another look at MN State Broadband grants in Kandiyohi County

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Crow Wing Media reports…

Meeker County-based Vibrant Broadband is one of two providers who will receive state funds to expand rural internet service in Kandiyohi County.

Kandiyohi County Economic Development announced Tuesday, March 5, that Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development awarded $8.8 million to support broadband internet projects in rural Kandiyohi County. The funds were part of $33.3 million in funding from the Border-to-Border Broadband Development Grant Program.

The two Kandiyohi County projects identified for funding represent 26% of the total grants.

Grant applications were collaboratively prepared by the EDC’s Broadband and Advanced Technology Committee and grant recipients, Federated Telephone Cooperative, which is powered by ACIRA, a partnership between Farmers Mutual Telephone Cooperative and Federated Telephone, and Vibrant Broadband, owned by Meeker Cooperative Light and Power Association.

The Vibrant Broadband project, which received $590,709 and will start this year, will serve 124 rural sites, including businesses, farms and the Fahlun Township hall.

More on Federated’s Project…

The Federated Telephone Cooperative project will cover the largest area, serving nearly 1,300 locations throughout Lake Andrew, Colfax, Norway Lake, Dovre and St. John’s townships, including 831 underserved and 458 unserved properties. Among the service area are 58 farms, 49 businesses and four community anchor institutions.

Federated’s project carries a price tag of $16.4 million and received the bulk — $8.2 million — of grant funds. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2025. Providers have approximately two years to complete the projects.

More on $8 million in MN Broadband State grants going to Stearns County

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KNSI Radio reports…

High-speed internet is on the way for residents in western Stearns County.

Albany Mutual Telephone Association will get $7,123,175, and Arvig will get $910,537 to improve service in the area. Over $53 million in grants is being distributed to expand broadband access to an estimated 8,900 homes and businesses in Minnesota.

Twenty-four broadband expansion projects will receive grants from the Department of Employment and Economic Development’s Office of Broadband Development. The money will be used to expand high-speed broadband of at least 100 megabits per second.

DEED will open another $50 million grant round for broadband infrastructure development later this month.

More on MN Broadband Grants in Kandiyohi and Chippewa counties

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West Central Tribune reports…

Kandiyohi and Chippewa counties were successful in obtaining state Border to Border Broadband grant program funds to help pay for broadband projects. Nearly 1,700 more properties in Kandiyohi, Chippewa and Renville counties may soon have access to highspeed broadband after three projects were awarded state grant funds.

Gov. Tim Walz announced Tuesday that the state awarded more than $50 million to broadband projects across the state, funded through the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development Border to Border Broadband Program and the Low Population Density Program.

More on the projects…

Kandiyohi County was awarded the largest amount in the latest round of grant awards, receiving $8,202,000 for a $16.4 million project the county is doing with Federated Telephone Cooperative. The project, called the Kandiyohi County Western Fiber to the Premises Project, will see high-speed wireline broadband reach around 1,289 locations in Colfax, Dovre, Lake Andrew, Norway Lake and St. Johns townships.

Funding partners for the project include the five townships and Kandiyohi County, along with Federated. The County Board previously approved using $2,423,575 of its American Rescue Plan Act coronavirus relief funds to help pay for the project. The board had made broadband expansion a priority, pledging to spend 75% of its $8 million American Rescue Plan allocation on broadband projects.

Kandiyohi County was also awarded $590,709 in grant funds for a project with Vibrant Broadband, part of the Meeker Cooperative Light and Power Association. The money will be used to bring high-speed broadband to 124 premises in Fahlun Township, according to project information provided by DEED.

Kandiyohi County and the township have provided American Rescue Plan Act funding to match the grant amount, while Vibrant will provide the remaining costs. The total estimated cost of the project is $1,181,419.

Another regional project that received Border to Border funding is a Hanson Communications project in Chippewa County. All totaled, $2,081,494 in grant funds will help Hanson build and operate a fiber-to-the-premises networking covering unserved and underserved areas within southwest Chippewa County, according to information from DEED.

Approximately 283 fiber passings will be constructed in the project. The project has a total estimated cost of $4,625,644, with Chippewa County also providing funding.

Governor Walz Announces $53 Million to Expand Broadband to 8,900 Minnesota Homes and Businesses

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Big news from the Office of Broadband Development. It’s worth nothing that while the round was budgeted to award $50 million, they were able to find $3 million more from cost saving realized by projects in earlier rounds.

I will dive deeper into the individual awards soon but for now I’m happy for the awardees and will keep an eye out for the next round of opportunity, which sounds like it should be soon. Maybe we’ll learn more about all roads at the Office of Broadband Development March 12 Celebrating 10 Years of Connecting One Minnesota-Broadband Event!

Governor Tim Walz today announced over $50 million in grants to expand broadband access to an estimated 8,900 homes and businesses throughout Minnesota.

“We’re investing in broadband infrastructure statewide to help thousands of Minnesotans connect to jobs, education, healthcare, and their communities,” said Governor Walz. “Helping more Minnesotans get online at high speeds is one of the ways we’re making Minnesota the best state for families, workers, and businesses.”

Twenty four broadband expansion projects will receive grants from the Department of Employment and Economic Development’s (DEED) Office of Broadband Development, helping deploy new broadband infrastructure around Minnesota. Using the grant funding, providers plan to expand high-speed broadband – offering speeds of at least 100 megabits per second (Mbps) download and 20 Mbps upload – in 25 counties across Minnesota.

Grant awards by project can be found below and on DEED’s website.

“Multiple rounds of historic grant funding have dramatically improved high-speed broadband access for thousands of Minnesotans,” said DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek. “Broadband is a significant equity issue, and as a Greater Minnesota resident in rural Benton County, I hear firsthand from local businesses, students and neighbors about the impact broadband access has on their lives and livelihoods.”

The grants come from two DEED programs:

  • $33.3 million from DEED’s flagship Border-to-Border Broadband Program, through which broadband provider grantees are reimbursed for up to half the eligible cost of deploying broadband infrastructure, with funding for a single project capped at $10 million.
  • $19.7 million from the Low Population Density Program, which offers grants to providers building broadband service to areas of Minnesota with particularly low population densities and high broadband deployment costs. The grants can be worth up to $10 million and cover up to 75% the total cost of a project.

DEED will open another $50 million grant round for broadband infrastructure development later this month.

“Broadband is an essential resource that not only helps Minnesota communities attract new business and help existing ones grow and thrive, but also gain and retain the workforce that supports business and community vitality,” said DEED Deputy Commissioner for Economic Development Kevin McKinnon. “Broadband use across nearly all industries and sectors – from high-tech manufacturing to agriculture – continues to grow, and a robust infrastructure gives our state a competitive economic edge.” 

“As the Office of Broadband Development enters its 10th year, I’m inspired by – and grateful for – our ongoing partnership with broadband providers as we work together to deploy reliable, high-speed broadband to the Minnesotans who need it,” said DEED Office of Broadband Development Executive Director Bree Maki. “Congratulations to today’s grantees and thank you for your commitment to Minnesota’s communities.” 

“The Minnesota Telecom Alliance (MTA) is very excited about this latest grant round award,” said Brent Christensen, president and CEO of the Minnesota Telecom Alliance. “MTA members have an established track record, since the beginning of the program, of leveraging Border-to-Border Broadband Grant dollars to further the deployment of quality high-speed internet service to all corners of our State.  We share the State’s goal of deploying quality broadband to all Minnesotans and applaud the foresight of the Governor and Legislature for securing the funds to keep this program moving forward.”

“Minnesota Cable’s member companies are committed to delivering essential high-speed broadband connections in every corner of our state,” said Melissa Wolf, executive director of MN Cable. “My members are proud to partner with the State of Minnesota’s Office of Broadband Development and local communities to help close the digital divide by bringing reliable and affordable broadband into the most difficult areas to serve.”

Today’s grant announcement is one of several initiatives underway to expand broadband access in Minnesota.

Over the last ten years, DEED has provided nearly $350 million in Border-to-Border or Low Population Density grants, providing broadband access to nearly 112,000 homes and businesses. In addition to these programs, DEED is implementing the Line Extension Program, which expands broadband service to individual homes and businesses that lack it. So far, that program will connect 840 customers to broadband through partnerships with 20 broadband providers.

DEED will also manage $652 million in federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (or BEAD) Program funding to expand broadband to the most unserved and underserved Minnesotans. DEED also recently finalized the state’s draft Digital Opportunity Plan, detailing how Minnesota proposes to reduce gaps in broadband access, digital technology ownership and digital skills using an upcoming grant from the federal government.

List of Border-to-Border Grantees by County:

 

Anoka, Chisago
Midco
$801,700

 

Blue Earth, Faribault
Easton Telephone Company
$435,838

 

Brown, Cottonwood
Hanson Communications
$395,138

 

Chippewa, Renville
Hanson Communications
$2,081,494

 

Clay
Red River Communications
$970,411

 

Douglas
Gardonville Cooperative Telephone
$223,521

 

Fillmore
Mediacom LLC
$33,863

 

Isanti
East Central Energy
$4,885,809

 

Kandiyohi
Federated Telephone Cooperative
$8,202,000
 Meeker Cooperative Light & Power Association
$590,709

 

Mahnomen
Arvig
$326,111

 

Mower
Spectrum Mid-America, LLC
$414,699

 

Pine, Aitkin
Savage Communications Inc
$3,563,817

 

St. Louis
Consolidated Telephone Company
$2,292,790
Mediacom LLC
$961,102

 

Stearns
Albany Mutual Telephone Association
$7,123,175

Total: $33,302,177

 

List of Low Population Density Grantees by County:

 

Goodhue
Nuvera Communications, Inc
$1,884,429

 

Kittson
Wikstrom Telephone Company
$3,066,630

 

Morrison
Upsala Cooperative Telephone Assoc. dba Sytek
$3,689,967

 

Mower
Arvig
$3,129,412

 

Pipestone
Woodstock Telephone Company
$1,612,932

 

Polk
Garden Valley Telephone Company
$1,050,465

 

Stearns
Arvig
$910,537

 

Waseca
Bevcomm Inc
$4,385,444

 

Total: $19,729,816

Sen Hauschild says rural communities should not have to wait for broadband

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Minnesota Senate DFL reports on a meeting that I reported on earlier…

Senator Grant Hauschild (DFL-Hermantown) told a Senate committee Wednesday that, for too long, small-and-rural communities across Minnesota have been told to wait to get the essential broadband services that are commonplace in more densely-populated communities, and he pressed his legislation that would help bring new broadband services to low-density areas that aren’t currently connected.

“Rural communities are constantly told to wait. Wait for funding, wait your turn, you don’t have the density, or you don’t have the property tax base.  Whatever it is, you don’t get what the urban centers get, and you don’t get what the suburbs get,” Senator Hauschild told members of the Agriculture, Broadband, and Rural Development Committee.  “The reason we created the low-density program is because we realize that funding is not getting equitably to all of Minnesota.”

Senator Hauschild told committee members that in 2023, he helped pass $100 million for broadband, with $40 million targeted to low-density communities. While the current rules require local communities to contribute 25 percent of the cost of broadband projects, with the state covering up to 75 percent, for some low-density communities the cost is still unattainable.

MN Senate Ag Broadband, and Rural Dev learns more about lower population density grant broadband programming

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Today MN Senate Agriculture, Broadband, and Rural Development learned about SF 3952, the bill by Senator Hauschild related to lower population density grant broadband program matching requirements modification. They want to change the match in the grants from 75 percent to 90 percent, which would help offset community and/or provider costs of builds in areas with lower population density.

Here are documents from the meeting:

    • Ag_20240228_SF3952.pdf (PDF)
    • Ag_20240228_SF3952-summary.pdf (PDF)

Video  (I will swap out “live” video link with archive when available.)

Notes:

  • A1 amendment: changes effective date to “after passage” rather than a given date.
  • $40 million was dedicated to lower population density last year. Last year match went from 50 to 75 percent. But that still isn’t enough in very small communities. I want match to be 90 percent.
  • Border to Boder grants 38 applications worth $65M for $35M; Lower population density odds were even lower – much applications for amounts that surpassed budget.
  • Testimony from Jan Keough: from Northstar township, 203 residents. We need the better match to make broadband happen in our communities. We don’t have the customer base to create a ROI for the build out required to reach us. We have a provider than is interested but they need at least 80 percent of funding met before they can agree to it.
    The unserved areas are not the hardest ones to reach. It’s going to cost more money  but we need it for the same reasons everyone else has needed it.

Questions:

Are you looking for funds to get broadband to the driveway? Would the homeowner pay from there?
A (from Bree Maki): our grants get to the premise – to get service to the home.

In my townships, it’s up to $2000 to get broadband from the driveway to the house. Why don’t these guys have to do that?
You may have a deal with the provider, not with the State.

But it’s still not fair. Homeowners should have skin in the game.

Is this for homeowners or towns/schools/libraries et al?
These would be community applications. This isn’t the line extension program

We just changed match to 75 percent. How much have we paid out yet?
One grant round worth $30 million. There were 9 awards. We are in the next round – we have 31 applications worth $85M for $20M available.

Can we infer that those programs were good but we just didn’t have funding.
Right. They are for the most part excellent applications.

I was first senator to propose greater match. The concern at that time was that I was ahead of the time – maybe we’re still ahead of the time for going to 90 percent. Let’s give 75 percent a chance. If we go for 90 percent match now, that will be where people will bid.

What would we do with 90 percent match versus 75?
I am a tech resource, I haven’t thought through what a differentiation might be.

The previous director used to say let’s not fund these expensive projects until we have to. We can use less expensive projects to get the backbone closer to the need. I don’t want to put more gov money into projects where we can leverage corporate spending.

Lastly, at what point do we look at a different technology? What if someone wants to live on an island? Then what is lots of people move there – do we need to serve them?
These are issues that we are considering.
These are helpful comments. My concern is that rural communities are constantly told to wait. Maybe we need an ultra low density population option. Why did we invest more in border to border than lower population grants? Because rural is always told to wait.

Looking at the map, Senator Hauschild serves the area that’s unserved. So that makes sense. I get it.

What about a reserve bid program for these areas?
The line extension program is a reserve bid program but you need to have a line nearby.

What happens to applications when funds run out?
Line extension applications stay in the hopper. Border to Border and lower population density grants reapply. We have funding for one more round. We assume the applications who don’t’ get funded we reapply.

Are there applications from one applicant for both border to border and lower population density grants?
We could spend the funds from any bucket, we just didn’t know how it would break out without a pilot.

What’s up with 2022 funding – the $200 million? And what’s up with mapping?
We do mapping and it’s updated twice a year. We have robust mapping on the website with speed test and links to providers available in the area. The FCC map designated $652M in federal funds in the state. We will soon have a chance to challenge those maps to make sure that the funds goes to places where it’s needed. \

How much money from 2022 is out the door? What’s the response to border to border grants?
Last fall, there were 21 projects we could fund out of 60 that applied. The ask surpasses the budget.

Are tribal nations eligible?
Yes. And NTIA has direct tribal grants. We give priorities to providers that have tribal support.

Bill is laid over.

EVENT Feb 28: MN Senate Ag, Broadband, and Rural Dev to discuss SF3952: Lower population broadband grants

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On Feb 28, the MN Senate Agriculture, Broadband, and Rural Development will learn about SF 3952, the bill by Senator Hauschild related to lower population density grant broadband program matching requirements modification.

Here’s info on the schedule (always subject to change)…

Wednesday, February 28th, 2024 03:00 PM
Agriculture, Broadband, and Rural Development
Chair: Sen. Aric Putnam
Location: 1150 Minnesota Senate Bldg.

Agenda

Call to Order

SF 3528 – Gustafson: Farm to school program requirements modification to include additional childcare facilities

SF 3404 – Putnam: Agricultural Marketing and Development appropriation modification

SF 3719 – Putnam: Minnesota Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council extension and agricultural fertilizer research and education account fee creation

SF 3952 – Hauschild: Lower population density grant broadband program matching requirements modification

SF 3703 – Lieske: Notice of an estray requirement

Added Feb 27:

SF 3952 – Hauschild: Lower population density grant broadband program matching requirements modification

Comcast expands better broadband to Corcoran and Rogers (Hennepin County)

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Hometown Source reports from Comcast a slight update from the news last fall; it looks like Rogers has been added to the cities getting better broadband…

Comcast announced expansions of its broadband network to seven cities including Corcoran and portions of Rogers by the end of 2024, as a result of funding support from the state of Minnesota’s Border-to-Border Broadband program.

“Access to reliable, high-speed broadband is a powerful driver of economic growth and development in our community,” Corcoran Mayor Tom McKee said. “Internet access is at the center of our modern lives and the quality of those lives will be greatly enhanced thanks to the partnership with Comcast, Hennepin County and the Minnesota Office of Broadband. Together we will be bringing broadband to nearly 500 unserved homes and businesses in Corcoran.”

Broadband areas will see five to 10 times faster upload speeds and smoother connections with the Xfinity Network. The 2024 planned expansion is part of the company’s nationwide rollout of multi-gig Internet speeds and adds to Comcast’s ongoing $473 million investment across Minnesota over the last three years.

MN HF3859 bill introduced to extend broadband grants to fund greater portion of deployment

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Representative Lislegard introduced a bill to modify the lower population density grant program so that grant money could fund up to 90 percent of a project instead of 75 percent.

Lislegard introduced:

HF. 3859,A bill for an act relating to broadband; modifying matching requirements for the lower population density grant program; amending Minnesota Statutes 2023 Supplement, section 116J.3952, subdivision 2.

Here is the bill:

A bill for an act relating to broadband; modifying matching requirements for the lower population density grant program; amending Minnesota Statutes 2023 Supplement, section 116J.3952, subdivision 2.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2023 Supplement, section 116J.3952, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Grants.

Grants awarded under this section may fund up to 75 90 percent of the total cost of a project and must otherwise adhere to section 116J.395, subdivisions 1 to 6 and subdivision 7, paragraph (b).

EFFECTIVE DATE.

This section is effective August 1, 2024.

Building better broadband in Waseca is about intention and momentum

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Sometimes the Minnesota County Broadband Profiles spur a conversation; such is the case with Steve Kraus in Waseca County. Steve began working on better broadband in the county as an American Connection Corps (ACC) Fellow, which is project of Lead for America, a national program of AmeriCorps. He is one piece of a smart strategy in Waseca for better broadband and more. So are the Waseca County Commissioners; I was delighted to spend some time with all of them talking about their broadband strategy via Zoom.

I wanted to share the video, which is full of great stories and frontline examples, such as having to finish your online work before 6am on a satellite connection before your neighbors wake up and go online too and a lot of praise for the Office of Broadband Development.

As a reminder, Waseca ranks 64 out of 87 with a red code. Part of the cause for the code is that Waseca has stalled around 75 percent access to broadband at speeds of 100 Mbps down and 20 up since 2018. Also, there is a discrepancy between broadband coverage depending on whether you include fixed wireless broadband or only wireline broadband. Minnesota doesn’t currently take fixed wireless into consideration when defining areas eligible for grants; the federal government does include access to fixed wireless as broadband. That could make a big difference to who is eligible for BEAD funding.

Waseca worked with local provider, Bevcomm, on a low density border-to-border grant request to OBD in the latest (and still current) funding round (Round 9). That is both the culmination and start of a path to success. We talked about their recipe for success, starting with key ingredients:

  • Informed Public Sector
    Waseca County has engaged, forward-thinking County Commissioners (Brian Harguth, Doug Christopherson, DeAnne Malterer and Brad Krause). As a former teacher, De was acutely aware of the needs of students, especially during the pandemic. (Dee is also on the Telecommunications and Technology Steering Committee through the National Association of Counties.) The other Commissioners (including Blair Nelson, who has recently passed) understand how farming families rely on broadband for precision agriculture, for second-income opportunities, access to education and telehealth.
    Michael Johnson, the county administrator, has experience working for local broadband provider. He is an account, not an engineer, but his experience means he understands nuances that someone else might not.
  • Dedicated Staff
    The county was fortunate to have Steve Kraus step in as an ACC Fellow. Having a full time, dedicated staff person to drive the priority and provide support to the effort got things done. For example, using maps provided by the Office of Broadband Development, Steve was able to find broadband providers who served some portion of the county and was able to contact each one to gauge interest and bandwidth for expanding access. That is how they found Bevcomm
  • Local Champions
    Advanced Waseca County is a group that meets quarterly to make Waseca County better. The stakeholders include a wide range of community members from education, local businesses, public safety, county commissioners, librarians, ACC fellow and more. They have had success rebuilding an historic baseball stadium and building a waterpark. As a group, they have decided that current priorities include:

    • Broadband
    • Preparing young people for modern jobs
    • Supporting downtown redevelopment
  • Access to funding
    Waseca County does not have a large population. And existing infrastructure is minimal. Access to state and federal funds help make FTTP financially feasible.  Th County has just over $1 million in ARPA and CARES funding to dedicate to broadband. Six of the townships in Waseca County are able to invest funds at this point. They have an application in for State funds and are looking closely at federal (BEAD) funding.

Those are the ingredients that could help Waseca success. The next step is building a plan. For Waseca, it started with Steve digging into a potential provider partner as described above. He spoke to many providers, but it was Bill Eckles at Bevcomm who suggested a lunch and immediately began a partnership. Steve gives a nod to support from the Office of Broadband Development (OBD) and Barbara Droher Kline of Le Sueur County. BEVCOMM was interested in working with Waseca on grant proposals MN state funding. The were unsuccessful in the 8th round of funding on a proposal that spanned two counties; OBD suggested that Waseca focus on their county alone. So that is what they have done for the current (9th) round of funding. The county committed funds to the project too. They are waiting to hear back on whether they receive funding.

But regardless of the success of this round, the county has found the final ingredient that they needed to move forward, an engaged provider partner.

Things are going well but there are some challenges. For example, Waseca was held back with situation with LTD Broadband nearly getting federal funding through the RDOF program. LTD was awarded an exclusive opportunity to apply for funds in parts of Minnesota. Between the opportunity and the results (they didn’t get the funds), Waseca and other communities were in a limbo where they could not receive other state or federal funds. They lost some ground.

There is some concern about veracity of broadband maps. For example, Steve called the broadband providers listed in the area on the MN Broadband map but found out that many were not interested in developing a partnership to improve broadband. But there is also a lot of faith in the team that they have assembled; I would include the Office of Broadband Development, Bevcomm, County Commission, County Administrator and Steve Kraus on that team.