Rank: 26
Code: Yellow
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Clay County: consistent, incremental improvements over years

Clay County has been on the road to steady improvement since as long as we have been looking. The growth has slowed in the last year but there is still an increase.

There isn’t much evidence of community activity to promote broadband in the area. Arvig got a grant in 2019; the evidence of that has probably been reflected in the map. Also projected allocation of American Recovery Project ARP funds in Clay is $12,455,461; broadband is one possible use. That may help.

It’s difficult to know what to expect in the future but they have earned their yellow code with continued improvement.

Broadband Access:

Computer Access:

Past Grants

• 2019: Arvig (Loretel Systems, Inc.) – Cormorant Lakes Area Project – GRANT $430,780

Checklist:

• Find more articles on broadband in Clay County. (http://tinyurl.com/hcgg9rm)
• 100/20 Mbps ranking: 26 (down 3 places)
• Has worked with Blandin: no
• Has received a MN Broadband grant: yes
• Household density: 23.19

Details:

• Districts: CD 7
  Senate: 04
  House: 04A, 04B
• Find your reps

I am doing the annual look at broadband in each county – based on maps from the Office of Broadband Development and news gathered from the last year. I’m looking at progress toward the 2022 (25 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up) and 2026 (100 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up) and will code each:

• Red (yikes)
• Yellow (warning)
• Green (good shape)

Rank: 58
Code:  Green
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Chisago County: resilience with a plan

Like several other counties, Chisago County has areas where there is one national provider (or another). Often national providers are not as engaged in rural areas as providers with roots in the community. Chicago has found creative ways to get around that in several towns in the county.

Chisago County keeps working, keeps engaging. They are a Blandin Broadband Community (BBC). You can hear them with other BBC folks in the video below, as they talk about how they are planning to respond to federal funding opportunities, such as American Recovery Plan and Community Project funds.

Through BBC, they have done a survey, where they learned that 60 percent of those surveyed not happy with broadband speed or reliability. They have also hosted a range of projects to promote broadband use and adoption. (You can see more in the video below.)

Projected allocation of American Recovery Project ARP funds in Chisago is $10,973,149; broadband is one possible use. That may help.

Few counties are as engaged as Chisago is with promoting better broadband. They have been working for years. They have come up with innovative solutions. As a report from the Institute for Local Self Reliance pointed out, they have a plan to apply for State funding one community at a time until they’re covered. With a plan like that, they get a green code, despite their numbers!

Broadband Access:

Computer Access:

Past grants:

• 2017 – CenturyLink – Fish Lake Township FTTH Project – GRANT $1,833,724
• 2016 – SUNRISE TOWNSHIP (CENTURYLINK) FIBER TO THE HOME – GRANT: $1,074,852
• CenturyLink (Qwest Corporation) – Nessel Township FTTH Project – GRANT $1,657,550

Checklist:

• Find more article on Chicago (https://blandinonbroadband.org/?s=chisago&submit=Search)
• 100/20 Mbps ranking: 58 (down 6)
• Has worked with Blandin: yes
• Has received a MN Broadband grant: yes
• Household density: 50.92

Details:

• Districts: CD 8
  Senate: 32 & 39
  House: 32A, 32B, 39A
• Find your reps

I am doing the annual look at broadband in each county – based on maps from the Office of Broadband Development and news gathered from the last year. I’m looking at progress toward the 2022 (25 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up) and 2026 (100 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up) and will code each:

• Red (yikes)
• Yellow (warning)
• Green (good shape)

Rank: 37
Code:
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Chippewa County: stagnant access just over 80 percent

Chippewa made great strides a few years ago when they went from 25 percent coverage to more than 80 percent. In 2018, they completed a feasibility study. They have applied for funding but have not received it. Chippewa County is part of the Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission (UMVRDC), which released a report saying that access to broadband was the number two issue in the area.

Projected allocation of American Recovery Project ARP funds in Chippewa is $2,288,537; broadband is one possible use.

Chippewa has greater access than other counties, but they seem to be bumping up against issues that aren’t going away. That is why they are getting a red code.

Broadband Access:

Computer Access:

Past grants:

• 2015 – MVTV Wireless Middle Mile, Grant award: $808,080

Checklist:

• Find more articles on broadband in Chippewa County. (http://tinyurl.com/htwz58a)
• 100/20 Mbps ranking: 37 (down 8)
• Has worked with Blandin: yes
• Has received a MN Broadband grant: yes
• Household density: 7.97

Details:

• Districts: CD 7
  Senate: 17
  House: 17A
• Find your reps

I am doing the annual look at broadband in each county – based on maps from the Office of Broadband Development and news gathered from the last year. I’m looking at progress toward the 2022 (25 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up) and 2026 (100 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up) and will code each:

• Red (yikes)
• Yellow (warning)
• Green (good shape)

Rank: 71
Code:  Red
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Cass County: multiple providers coming to the area

In the last year, CTC has been working (with special COVID-related funding from DEED) to reach unserved area. Also, CTC received CARES Act funding from both Crow Wing and Cass County to build broadband to unserved areas of Welton Road, County Rd 10, Border Lake, Little Pine Road and unserved areas in Lake Edward Township. Earlier in the summer, Lake Shore City put out a request for bids from broadband providers to help improve connectivity, especially in light of increased need do to COVID restrictions.

TDS is also in the area with about 60 miles of fiber between Cass and Crow Wing counties, which was scheduled to be built by the end of the summer (2021).

Cass County will benefit from a MN State Grant awarded in 2021:

• West Central Telephone Association – Rural Staples Phase 2 – GRANT $465,050 This last mile project will serve 56 unserved locations in extremely rural areas of Wadena and Cass counties.

The hope is that improvements will be seen in the next broadband maps. There is some danger that community members aren’t riled up because the access to 25/3 is fairly high, which means some people are probably satisfied while others can get by. Increased need for broadband due to pandemic restrictions may help light a fire and projected allocation of American Recovery Project ARP funds in Cass is$5,775,454; broadband is one possible use. That may help too. However until the maps come out or increase passion for broadband is evident, they get a red code.

Broadband Access:

Computer Access:

Past grants:

• 2016 – TDS TELECOM CASS & CROW WING COUNTIES — GRANT: $3,000,000
• 2014 – Consolidated Telephone Cooperative, Region 5 Virtual Highway Project – Award $2 million
• 2020: CTC received CARES Act funding from both Crow Wing and Cass County.
• 2019: Paul Bunyan Communications – North Central Minnesota Fiber Project– GRANT $2,562,916
• 2019: WCTA (West Central Telephone Association) – Rural Staples Phase I Project – GRANT $555,355

Checklist:

• Find more articles on broadband in Cass County. (http://tinyurl.com/hgtulgm)
• 100/20 Mbps ranking: 71 (down 5 from last year)
• Has worked with Blandin: yes
• Has received a MN Broadband grant: yes
• Household density: 5.54

Details:

• Districts: CD 8
  Senate: 05 & 09
  House: 05A, 05B, 09A
• Find your reps

I am doing the annual look at broadband in each county – based on maps from the Office of Broadband Development and news gathered from the last year. I’m looking at progress toward the 2022 (25 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up) and 2026 (100 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up) and will code each:

• Red (yikes)
• Yellow (warning)
• Green (good shape)

Rank: 25
Code: Yellow
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Carver County: Needs a push to get ubiquitous broadband

Carver County has seen only incremental improvement in broadband coverage since we have been keeping track. In 2013, they got American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding to build a start to a community-wide network, but not much as happened since.

The cities and towns are well served but areas with lower population density are not. As a report from the Institute for Local Self Reliance pointed out, networks in Carver County have done little to improve residential or commercial Internet access, though they have led to significant local government savings. However, projected allocation of American Recovery Project ARP funds in Carver is $20,381,364; broadband is one possible use.

Obviously at 90+ percentage coverage, Carver is close to the ubiquitous goal, but they have been hovering too long. Without a concerted effort, they will not do it and that’s why they are code yellow.

Broadband Access:

Computer Access:

Past grants:

• 2013, Carver County received ARRA funding for Carverlink, a publicly owned 89-mile base ring with 33 miles of lateral lines. It was completed in Fall of 2013.

Checklist:

• Find more articles on broadband in Carver County. (http://tinyurl.com/jxj9v9x)
• 100/20 Mbps ranking: 25 (down 5 places)
• Has worked with Blandin: no
• Has received a MN Broadband grant: no
• Household density: 109.46

Details:

• Districts: CD 3 & 6
  Senate: 33 & 47
  House: 33B, 47A, 47B
• Find your reps

I am doing the annual look at broadband in each county – based on maps from the Office of Broadband Development and news gathered from the last year. I’m looking at progress toward the 2022 (25 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up) and 2026 (100 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up) and will code each:

• Red (yikes)
• Yellow (warning)
• Green (good shape)

Rank: 79
Code:  Red
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Carlton County: Improvement will be expense, but they are looking

Carlton County is one of several counties that is served primary with one national provider, who may not be as invested locally as a local provider or cooperative. They recognize the need for improvement; they need to find a way to make it happen.

Their access to broadband hasn’t changed substantially since we have been tracking. County Commissioners have recognized the importance of better broadband. Local media has also written about the need for better broadband, especially since the pandemic. Projected allocation of American Recovery Project ARP funds in Carlton is $6,956,960; broadband is one possible use.

Unfortunately, local recognition of need is not enough to make a difference when a community is served by a provider that is not engaged. Perhaps, the advent of federal funding (ARP and Capital Project Funds) might spur interest in providers that haven’t been interested or spur a community to look at solutions outside of their community. But that is a hard lift and therefore they maintain their red code.

They may benefit from intervention, such as the Blandin Accelerate program, a process to spur community acquisition and deployment of federal and state broadband funds, to find an alternative solution.

Broadband Access:

Computer Access:

Past grants:

• 2017 – Carlton County w/ Frontier – Phase I: Cromwell/Kettle River – GRANT: $569,058
• Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa – Big Lake Road Project – GRANT $602,916

Checklist:

• Find more articles on broadband in Carlton County. (http://tinyurl.com/z4me5k4)
• 100/20 Mbps ranking: 79 (down 3)
• Has worked with Blandin: yes
• Has received a MN Broadband grant: yes
• Household density: 15.93

Details:

• Districts: CD 8
  Senate: 11
  House: 11A
• Find your reps

I am doing the annual look at broadband in each county – based on maps from the Office of Broadband Development and news gathered from the last year. I’m looking at progress toward the 2022 (25 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up) and 2026 (100 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up) and will code each:

• Red (yikes)
• Yellow (warning)
• Green (good shape)

Rank: 50
Code: Red
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Brown County: Improvement will be expensive, but they are looking

Brown County has seen only very incremental broadband increase since 2017. In 2020, after receiving a state broadband grant, Nuvera reported that construction had begun on in rural areas of Sleepy Eye, Hutchinson and Mazeppa. An enhanced fixed wireless solution was also installed in rural New Ulm by St. George. That network was recently announced.

In December 2020, local legislators (Rep. Paul Torkelson, R and Sen. Gary Dahms, R) met to talk about broadband. So, it is at least on the radar. Also projected allocation of American Recovery Project ARP funds in Brown is $4,850,148; broadband is one possible use.

Brown County will benefit from a MN State Grant awarded in 2021:

• Minnesota Valley Telephone Company (MVTC) – Rural Franklin Fiber Project – GRANT $226,800. This middle and last mile project will serve approximately 45 unserved locations in the City of Franklin and the townships of Sherman, Eden, Camp and Birch Cooley in Redwood, Renville and Brown counties.

Brown County gets a red because while legislators are interested and there is a provider that is engaging in the area, there doesn’t seem to be a lot more buzz or activity to improve broadband.

Broadband Access:

Computer Access:

Past grants:

• 2107 – New Ulm Telecom, Inc.– Hanska A&D FTTP – GRANT $324,894
• 2016 – New Ulm Telecom, Inc. – Hanska – GRANT: $ 200,397
• 2019: Nuvera Communications, Inc. – New Ulm SW Project – GRANT $385,600

Checklist:

• Find more articles on broadband in Brown County. (http://tinyurl.com/z2wwkye)
• 100/20 Mbps ranking: 47 (down 3 places)
• Has worked with Blandin: yes
• Has received a MN Broadband grant: yes
• Household density: 15.92

Details:

• Districts: CD 1
  Senate: 16
  House: 16B
• Find your reps

I am doing the annual look at broadband in each county – based on maps from the Office of Broadband Development and news gathered from the last year. I’m looking at progress toward the 2022 (25 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up) and 2026 (100 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up) and will code each:

• Red (yikes)
• Yellow (warning)
• Green (good shape)

Rank: 40
Code: Yellow
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Blue Earth County: Middle of the pack

Blue Earth County saw a big leap in access in 2019. Since then they have been stagnant, although they saw a small increase this year, getting them over 80 percent.

In 2020, they unveiled a feasibility study that said it could cost more than $35 million to install 1,067 miles of fiber to connect all rural areas of Blue Earth County, excluding the Mankato area and larger cities such as Lake Crystal and Madison Lake. A combination of wireless networks and fiber, about 161 miles in total, would cost about $11 million to install.

That feasibility study gives them a blueprint of plans to use to apply for federal funding being made available post- pandemic, including the Capital Project Funding and American Rescue Plan. Projection for allocation of ARP funds in Blue Earth is $13,120,883; broadband is one possible use. Working on the feasibility indicates a renewed community focus on broadband. That is why their ranking is bumped from red to yellow.

Broadband Access:

Computer Access:

Past Grants:

none

Checklist:

• Find more articles on broadband in Blue Earth County. (http://tinyurl.com/j5pe9kr)
• 100/20 Mbps ranking: 40 (up 2)
• Has worked with Blandin: yes
• Has received a MN Broadband grant: yes
• Household density: 34.24

Details:

• Districts: CD 1
  Senate: 19
  House: 19A, 19B, 23B, 23B
• Find your reps

I am doing the annual look at broadband in each county – based on maps from the Office of Broadband Development and news gathered from the last year. I’m looking at progress toward the 2022 (25 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up) and 2026 (100 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up) and will code each:

• Red (yikes)
• Yellow (warning)
• Green (good shape)

Rank: 9
Code:  Green
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Big Stone County: rank 9 but stalled

In 2018, after partnering with Federated Telephone Cooperative on a successful MN Border to Border grant, Big Stone County moved to top 10 ranking for access to 100/20 Mbps broadband. Their broadband access remains the same; their ranking slips only because other counties are doing even better.

They receive a green code because they have over 99 percent covered but they will likely need a good push to get to ubiquitous broadband.

Broadband Access:

Computer Access:

Past Grants:

• 2014 – Federated Telephone Cooperative, Big Stone County

Checklist:

• Find more articles on broadband in Big Stone County. (http://tinyurl.com/zfgwstd)
• 100/20 Mbps ranking: 9 (down 2)
• Has worked with Blandin: yes
• Has received a MN Broadband grant: yes
• Household density: 3.87

Details:

• Districts: CD 7
  Senate: 12
  House: 12A
• Find your reps

I am doing the annual look at broadband in each county – based on maps from the Office of Broadband Development and news gathered from the last year. I’m looking at progress toward the 2022 (25 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up) and 2026 (100 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up) and will code each:

• Red (yikes)
• Yellow (warning)
• Green (good shape)

Rank: 24
Code:  Yellow
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Benton County: big leap two years ago, incremental since then

Two years ago, Benton County moved the broadband needle from 26 to 88 percent for access to 100/20 Mbps after benefitting from two MN Border to Border grants. Change has been minimal since that time.

In September, they were part of a regional broadband conference, as part of the annual Blandin Broadband conference. Hopefully that will spur greatest interest and movement forward.

Benton will benefit from a MN State Grant awarded in 2021:

• Benton Cooperative Telephone Company – Ramey Phase 2 Project – GRANT $338,011 (Mille Lacs County) This last mile project will serve 119 unserved locations in the Ramey telephone exchange located in portions of Lakin and Mount Morris townships in Morrison County and a small portion of Dailey and Page townships located in Mille Lacs County.

Benton receives a yellow ranking because they are stalled. They are certainly better off than many counties but to reach ubiquitous coverage, they will need a push like they had leading up to 2019 improvement. Projection for allocation of American Recovery Project ARP funds in Benton is $7,930,170; broadband is one possible use. Maybe that will inspire them.

Broadband Access:

Computer Access:

Past Grants:

• 2017 – Benton Cooperative Telephone Company – Rice Ramey – GRANT $765,015
• 2017 – Palmer Wireless – Duelm Hwy 95 – GRANT $162,814
• 2014-CenturyLink Foley, Benton County–Balkan Township – Award: $382,883.
• 2020:Benton Cooperative Telephone Company – Ramey Phase I – GRANT $936,759

Checklist:

• Find more articles on broadband in Benton County (https://blandinonbroadband.org/?s=benton+county&submit=Search)
• 100/20 Mbps ranking: 24 (same as last year)
• Has worked with Blandin: yes
• Has received a MN Broadband grant: yes
• Household density: 37.61

Details:

• Districts: CD 7
  Senate: 12
  House: 12A
• Find your reps

I am doing the annual look at broadband in each county – based on maps from the Office of Broadband Development and news gathered from the last year. I’m looking at progress toward the 2022 (25 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up) and 2026 (100 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up) and will code each:

• Red (yikes)
• Yellow (warning)
• Green (good shape)

Rank: 6
Code: Green
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Beltrami County well served thanks to Paul Bunyan

Beltrami has seen no improvement in service in the last year, but they were already better than 99 percent covered. Beltrami is the home county to Paul Bunyan Telephone, a cooperative that is focused on Gigabit service to their customers/stakeholders. They are lucky, having an engaged provider is the easiest way a community can improve broadband access.

FirstNet, a public safety network, has come to Beltrami. That might help extend cell coverage or create opportunities for redundancy.

Beltrami has a green ranking because they are more than 99 percent served. They might now focus on use. Beltrami was found to be one of the top 10 MN counties for highest digital equity needs, based on access to broadband, digital training and accommodations to increase access during COVID. And the computer numbers below indicate that they are below average for access to devices.

Broadband Access:

Computer Access:

Past Grants:

• 2020: Paul Bunyan received a MN Border to Border grant to bring fiber to the Leach Lake Indian Reservation and the southeast Beltrami.

Checklist:

• Find more articles on broadband in Beltrami County. (http://tinyurl.com/z5yvec6)
• 100/20 Mbps ranking: 6 (down 1)
• Has worked with Blandin: no
• Has received a MN Broadband grant: no
• Household density: 7.10

Details:

• Districts: CD 7 & 8
  Senate: 2, 5
  House: 02A, 05A
• Find your reps

I am doing the annual look at broadband in each county – based on maps from the Office of Broadband Development and news gathered from the last year. I’m looking at progress toward the 2022 (25 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up) and 2026 (100 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up) and will code each:

• Red (yikes)
• Yellow (warning)
• Green (good shape)

Rank: 57
Code: Red
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Becker County: big improvements in 2020 but stagnant in 2021

In 2020, Becker got a boost in the form of a MN Border to Border grant; they went from bottom ranking (87) last year to ranking 50. We were expecting to see continued progress because Arvig received a grant to extend service but the access to 100/20 is exactly the same as last year.

What is frustrating is that the access to 25/3 has increased quite a bit. This means someone has invested in improvement, which I’m sure the residents appreciate, but they did not invest in speeds that will meet future needs.

Projected allocation of American Recovery Project ARP funds in Becker is $6,676,129; broadband is one possible use.

Becker County has the opportunity to invest in broadband with federal funding. That would help them reach ubiquitous broadband. They are a code red community.

Broadband Access:

Computer Access:

Past grants

• 2016 – PAUL BUNYAN COMMUNICATIONS HUBBARD, BECKER & ITASCA COUNTIES – GRANT: $1,742,232
• Arvig (Loretel Systems, Inc.) – Cormorant Lakes Area Project – GRANT $430,780

Checklist:

• Find more articles on broadband in Becker County. (http://tinyurl.com/jkah37b)
• 100/20 Mbps ranking: 57 (down from 50)
• Has worked with Blandin: yes
• Has received a MN Broadband grant: yes
• Household density: 9.91

Details:

• Districts: CD 7
  Senate: 02, 04
  House: 2B
• Find your reps

I am doing the annual look at broadband in each county – based on maps from the Office of Broadband Development and news gathered from the last year. I’m looking at progress toward the 2022 (25 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up) and 2026 (100 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up) and will code each:

• Red (yikes)
• Yellow (warning)
• Green (good shape)

Rank: 12
Code: Green
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Anoka County’s standing as metro county helps draw providers

As a fairly (but not entirely) metro county, it is easier for providers to make a business case to serve Anoka. They received an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grant in 2013, which has helped serve government facilities. As a report from the Institute for Local Self Reliance pointed out, the networks in Anoka County have done little to improve residential or commercial Internet access, though they have led to significant local government savings.

Last year, the Anoka County Regional Economic Development worked with the Blandin Foundation’s Community Broadband Resources program to help the cities of East Bethel, Columbus, Nowthen and Linwood Township with broadband improvement projects. Linwood Township partnered with Midco to connect a 50+ single family development to broadband services.  Linwood is also considering options to improve fiber connections in other unserved or underserved portions of their community.

Anoka County saw an increase in coverage this year. They slipped in the ranking but that has more to do with other counties catching up than their own access getting worse. They have applied for Broadband Infrastructure Program (BIP) funds with a project that would serve 834 unserved residents. That is why they get a green code.

Broadband Access:

Computer Access:

Previous Grants:

• 2013: The County received federal (ARRA) funding in 2013. In partnership with Zayo, the County was able to build a 287-mile broadband network for government facilities.

Checklist:

• Find more articles on broadband in Anoka County.(http://tinyurl.com/zuvt4x7)
• 100/20 Mbps ranking: 12 (down 2 from 2020)
• Has worked with Blandin: yes
• Has received a MN Broadband grant: yes
• Household density: 317.89

Details

• Districts: CD 6
  Senate: 31, 35, 36, 37, 38, 41
  House: 31A, 31B, 35A, 35B, 36A, 36B, 37A, 37B, 38A, 41A, 41B
• Find your reps

I am doing the annual look at broadband in each county – based on maps from the Office of Broadband Development and news gathered from the last year. I’m looking at progress toward the 2022 (25 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up) and 2026 (100 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up) and will code each:

• Red (yikes)
• Yellow (warning)
• Green (good shape)

Rank: 78
Code: Yellow
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Aitkin County is near the bottom ranking. but they are working on it

Aitkin County has gone from 47 percent coverage last year to almost 53 in 2021. The progress is slow but it’s steady. They have been working with the Blandin Foundation as an IRBC (Iron Range Broadband Community) to promote better use of broadband. They were cohorts in Blandin’s inaugural Accelerate! program, a process to spur community acquisition and deployment of federal and state broadband funds. Also, they got Blandin funding in August to do a feasibility study, which is often a solid step to getting better broadband.

The IRBC has been working on increasing use through things like helping people use MyChart, which allowed for 900 remote visits in the first weeks of COVID. The hope is that Accelerate! and the feasibility study will put them in a good position to vie for federal funds such as Capital Project Funding and American Rescue Plan. (Projection for allocation of ARP funds in Aitkin is $3,080,992; broadband is one possible use.)

Aitkin will benefit from a MN State Grant awarded in 2021:

• Mille Lacs Energy Cooperative (MLEC) – Mille Lacs Energy Cooperative Phase 4 FTTH – GRANT $198,607. This fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) project will serve 80 unserved and five underserved locations along the southeast side of Farm Island Lake in Aitkin County. Through a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota, MLEC will bring 1 Gbps speeds to 84 homes and one business on the fiber route, exceeding the State’s 2022 and 2026 speed goals.

Aitkin was found to be one of the top 10 MN counties for highest digital equity needs, based on access to broadband, digital training and accommodations to increase access during COVID.

Aitkin is getting a yellow code because of the work they have done in the last year and because we continue to see steady increases in access to 100/20 broadband speeds. Also, the feasibility is an opportunity to get them on track.

Broadband Access:

Computer Access:

Previous grants:

• 2017 – SCI – Shamrock Township Broadband Expansion – GRANT $148,503
• 2016 – MILLE LACS ENERGY COOPERATIVE FTTP PROJECT – GRANT: $1,757,640
• 2020 – Emily Cooperative Telephone Company – Round Lake Fiber Project – GRANT $376,000
• 2020 Mille Lacs Energy Cooperative (MLEC) – MLEC Phase 3 FTTH Project with CTC – GRANT $1,253,955
• 2020: SCI Broadband (Savage Communications Inc.) – Glen Township Broadband Expansion Project – GRANT $195,848

Details:

• 100/20 ranking: 78 (up 2 from 2019)
• Has worked with Blandin: yes
• Has received a MN Broadband grant(s): yes
• Household density: 3.7
• Find more articles on broadband in Aitkin County. (http://tinyurl.com/hdqdmhr)
• Districts: CD 8
  Senate: 10
  House: 10B
  Find your reps

I am doing the annual look at broadband in each county – based on maps from the Office of Broadband Development and news gathered from the last year. I’m looking at progress toward the 2022 (25 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up) and 2026 (100 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up) and will code each:

• Red (yikes)
• Yellow (warning)
• Green (good shape)

Every year I spend a week writing up county broadband profiles for each county. I take a look at the maps and data provided by the Office of Broadband Development. I track who has received MN Border to Border broadband grants and other funding for broadband and I go through broadband stories from the past year. This post is a warning of sorts that you may be seeing a lot of Tweets or getting a lot of email from me in the next 12 hours as the counties get posted. I tried to time them for off hours – but by tomorrow morning they should all be there. (The links on that page won’t work until the posts have gone live.)

We are on the precipice of some big changes because there is a tremendous opportunity for broadband funding. Each county will receive American Rescue Plan funds and broadband is one eligible investment for that money. A few counties have already committed to spending it on broadband; many have remained quiet and may still be deciding. It turns out that less than 60 percent of townships eligible for ARP funding have applied. It will be interesting to see what happens. There have been other funds that emerged as reaction to the pandemic – CARES and the DEED’s Small Cities Coronavirus Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG-CV).

There was another opportunity for funding through RDOF money from the FCC. They manage considerable funds and the project funding is set for 10 years. That funding is in a limbo of sorts; there was one provider who was offered the opportunity to apply for funding in MN but many people question whether they can provide the FTTH service as proposed. That grant has left some communities waiting to hear whether the RDOF money will come to them or whether then should make alterative plans.

The pandemic has also exacerbated the demand and use of broadband as people have spent much of 2020 and 2021 working, learning, entertaining and taking care of healthcare online.

Each county has its own challenges and strengths but going through the counties I see some themes repeated:

• An engaged provider can make all of the difference. An engaged provider does not necessarily need an engaged community but an engaged community does need a engaged provider. So having a provider that wants to provide good service is a trump card.
• Lack of competition means some counties are finding their needs are not met. Often those counties have one national provider who may find it difficult to invest money is areas where the return on investment is low and/or slow. Some of these counties have been working for years but the barrier is a high one.
• A feasibility study seems to help a community move forward with a plan. It helps focus a community and makes applications for grants easier and it seems to open the door to working with new partners.
• Unless a county is above 97 percent access to broadband, a lack of improvement means a county will drop in ranking – and often drop far.

There are some counties that deserve recognition for their progress. Lincoln County went from 40 percent access to 99 in a year. (They started with a feasibility study in 2018.)  Clearwater County went from 89 percent to 99.59 percent; thanks to a $20 million loan for Garden Valley Telephone. Sherburne County went from 81 percent to 93; they still need to work but that’s a good move forward. There are a number of counties that dropped from Yellow to Red ranking often because their coverage hasn’t changed and there’s been limited signs of engagement. Counties that are code red might benefit from intervention, such as the Blandin Accelerate program, a process to spur community acquisition and deployment of federal and state broadband funds, to find an alternative solution.