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

Waseca County: stalled at 85 percent broadband access

Waseca County’s broadband coverage increased nicely in 2025, enough to bump them from Red to Yellow status.

At the time of writing, the MN BEAD final proposal has not been approved, but the current proposal would mean coverage for 17 locations in Waseca County. The locations will get a fixed wireless connection, which does not qualify as served in the MN statute.

There is still Line Extension funding yet to be distributed, which helps connect handfuls of  houses just beyond existing infrastructure. (Waseca has not benefitted from earlier Line Extension awards. So that seems like a strategy worth considering.)

Statewide, there have been changes with local and national broadband providers, which also leads to uncertainty.

Broadband Access:

Possible BEAD support

The Minnesota BEAD Final Proposal has not yet been approved so the information below is subject to change; it includes the number of locations by county specifying provider and broadband type. (Learn more.)

Locations in Waseca: 17
The locations include satellite connections.

Local Government Match for State Broadband Grants:

Over the years, many local governments (County, Municipal, Tribal) have invested in broadband deployment. This year, I have tracked how much local investment has been used to match MN State Grants. Local governments invest in other ways too, but this was one number I could realistically find and quantify investment by county, which means investment in that county, whether by county, cities or other local government entity.

In Waseca $165,000 was invested over the years.

No New Posts from 2025

Highlights from Past Reports

• 2023 estimates indicated that it would cost $19.5 million to get ubiquitous broadband in the county. (I haven’t updated the number because recent report offers scenarios of costs based on BEAD funding rules that make current estimates less predictable than in the past. Yet, I think the number is still helpful.)
• In 2022, Waseca ranked 84^th using Microsoft’s Digital Equity Tool, which looks at various factors of a community.

Past Grants:

• Bevcomm Inc Waseca County Fiber Expansion Project – Ph 2
  Grant: $1,186,050, Local Match: $395,350, Total Budget: $1,581,400
• Bevcomm Inc – Bevcomm – Waseca-Cty Fiber
  Grant: $4,385,444, Local Match: $1,461,815, Total Budget: $5,847,259

• MN State Grants awarded in 2021: BEVCOMM (Cannon Valley Telecom, Inc.) – Rural Morristown Fiber Expansion Project – GRANT $210,692 This last mile project will serve approximately 14 unserved and 94 underserved locations in portions of Rice, Waseca, and Steele counties.

Find more articles on broadband in Waseca County (http://tinyurl.com/z845jwy)

The maps below come from the 

• Office of Broadband Development interactive map, reflecting data updated on December 16, 2025 – tracking wireline access.
• The FCC National Broadband Maps, reflecting data updated November 28, 2025 – tracking fixed wireless access.

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: 45
Code: Yellow
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Traverse County: a nice increase this year

Traverse County’s broadband coverage dipped slightly this month, although that was probably a map correction.  They aren’t in line for any BEAD funding. Therefore, I have bumped them from Green to Yellow status.

At the time of writing, the MN BEAD final proposal has not been approved, but the current proposal would mean coverage for 0 locations in Traverse County.

There is still Line Extension funding yet to be distributed, which helps connect handfuls of  houses just beyond existing infrastructure. (Traverse has not benefitted from earlier Line Extension awards. So that seems like a strategy worth considering.)

Statewide, there have been changes with local and national broadband providers, which also leads to uncertainty.

Possible BEAD support

The Minnesota BEAD Final Proposal has not yet been approved so the information below is subject to change; it includes the number of locations by county specifying provider and broadband type. (Learn more.)

Locations in Traverse: 0
Local Government Match for State Broadband Grants:

Over the years, many local governments (County, Municipal, Tribal) have invested in broadband deployment. This year, I have tracked how much local investment has been used to match MN State Grants. Local governments invest in other ways too, but this was one number I could realistically find and quantify investment by county, which means investment in that county, whether by county, cities or other local government entity.

In Traverse $19,490 was invested over the years.

No New Posts from 2025

Highlights from Past Reports

• 2023 estimates indicated that it would cost $3 million to get ubiquitous broadband in the county. (I haven’t updated the number because recent report offers scenarios of costs based on BEAD funding rules that make current estimates less predictable than in the past. Yet, I think the number is still helpful.)

• In 2022, Traverse ranked 71 using Microsoft’s Digital Equity Tool, which looks at various factors of a community.

Grants

• 2022: Runestone Telephone Association – Herman-Dumont – GRANT $2,493,637

Find more articles on broadband in Traverse County (http://tinyurl.com/gmvojv8)

The maps below come from the 

• Office of Broadband Development interactive map, reflecting data updated on December 16, 2025 – tracking wireline access.
• The FCC National Broadband Maps, reflecting data updated November 28, 2025 – tracking fixed wireless access.

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: 65
Code: Yellow
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

St Louis County: Providers are active

St Louis County’s broadband coverage increased in 2025. A couple of providers have been active in the area and BEAD will bring in some funding for fiber. St Louis retains their Yellow status.

At the time of writing, the MN BEAD final proposal has not been approved, but the current proposal would mean coverage for 11,678 locations in St Louis County. More than half of the connections will be fiber, the rest is a mix of satellite or fixed wireless connection, which does not qualify as served in the MN statute.

There is still Line Extension funding yet to be distributed, which helps connect handfuls of  houses just beyond existing infrastructure. (St Louis has benefitted from earlier Line Extension awards. So that seems hopeful for them as well.) There have been changes with local and national broadband providers, which also leads to uncertainty.

Possible BEAD support

The Minnesota BEAD Final Proposal has not yet been approved so the information below is subject to change; it includes the number of locations by county specifying provider and broadband type. (Learn more.)

Locations in St. Louis: 11,678
The locations include a majority of satellite and fixed wireless connections.

Local Government Match for State Broadband Grants:

Over the years, many local governments (County, Municipal, Tribal) have invested in broadband deployment. This year, I have tracked how much local investment has been used to match MN State Grants. Local governments invest in other ways too, but this was one number I could realistically find and quantify investment by county, which means investment in that county, whether by county, cities or other local government entity.

In St Louis County, $4.573.980 was invested in nine projects over the years.

New Posts from 2025:

• St Louis County providers received $2,619,282.61 in the first three rounds of Line Extension awards

• IRRR announces $383,000 broadband grant for Paul Bunyan Communications (St Louis County)
• St Louis County spent $2.76 million ARPA funds on broadband
• Broadband Expansion Continues in Itasca and St. Louis Counties
• Paul Bunyan Communication expands to Itasca and St. Louis Counties
• Paul Bunyan Communications broadband expansion updates in Itasca and St. Louis Counties
• Paul Bunyan Communications updates on expansion in St. Louis & Itasca County
• Paul Bunyan Communications’ broadband Expansion continues in Itasca and St. Louis Counties
• Paul Bunyan Communications Update: Broadband Expansion Progressing in Itasca and St. Louis Counties
• CTC is deploying fiber to Breitung Town (St. Louis County)

Highlights from Past Reports

• 2023 estimates indicated that it would cost $227 million to get ubiquitous broadband in the county. (I haven’t updated the number because recent report offers scenarios of costs based on BEAD funding rules that make current estimates less predictable than in the past. Yet, I think the number is still helpful.)

• In 2022, St Louis ranked 84^thusing Microsoft’s Digital Equity Tool, which looks at various factors of a community.

Past Grants

• Paul Bunyan Rural Telephone Cooperative NW St. Louis County GigaZone Expansion
  Grant: $3,924,157, Local Match: $2,099,108, Total Budget: $6,023,265
• Representative Liz Olson, Senator Jen McEwen – Mediacom LLC Lakewood South
  Grant: $232,800, Local Match: $543,200, Total Budget: $775,999
• Representative Liz Olson, Senator Jen McEwen – Mediacom LLC Lakewood Normanna
  Grant: $145,000, Local Match: $526,325, Total Budget: $671,325
• Consolidated Telephone Company – CTC – RD9 Clinton Twp
  Grant: $2,292,790, Local Match: $2,292,790, Total Budget: $4,585,580
• Mediacom LLC – Mediacom – Esquagama Lake
  Grant: $961,102, Local Match: $961,102, Total Budget: $1,922,204
• 2023: Paul Bunyan Rural Telephone Coop – Paul Bunyan Communications Rural GigaZone Fiber – GRANT $5,569,281

• 2022: Mediacom Minnesota LLC, $7,363,624.53
• 2022: Mediacom Minnesota LLC – Esko – GRANT $4,400,732
• 2022: Mediacom Minnesota LLC – Project 19 – Hibbing – GRANT $2,141,135
• 2022: Paul Bunyan Communications – Northern Minnesota GigaZone Fiber – GRANT $3,052,120
• 2022: Savage Communications Inc., $562,098.00
• 2022: Consolidated Telephone Company, $4,857,030.00 (serving St Louis and Cass)
• 2022: Mediacom Minnesota LLC – Esquagama Lake – GRANT $821,758

• 2017 – CenturyLink – Fredenberg Township FTTH Project – GRANT $1,809,312
  2017 – Paul Bunyan Communications – North Central Fiber – GRANT $802,620
• 2017 – MEDIACOM FAYAL TOWNSHIP – GRANT: $263,345
• 2014 – Mediacom, Pintar Road – Award: $137,848. Total project cost: $275,697.
• 2014 – Northeast Service Cooperative – Frontier Communications Corp., Border to Border Phase I – Award: $1.96 million.
• 2019: Paul Bunyan Communications – North Central Minnesota Fiber Project– GRANT $2,562,916

• MN State Grants awarded in 2021: Charter Communications (Spectrum) – Getchell Road – GRANT $11,400 This middle and last mile project will provide broadband service to eight unserved households in northern Duluth in St. Louis County.

• Mediacom Minnesota LLC – Field of Dreams Hermantown Project – GRANT $624,751 This last mile project will serve approximately 267 underserved households, six underserved businesses, and one underserved community anchor institution in Hermantown in St. Louis County.
• Paul Bunyan Communications – City of Cook GigaZone Fiber – GRANT $311,254 This last mile project will improve high-speed broadband for 57 unserved and 254 underserved locations in the community of Cook in St. Louis County.

Find more articles on broadband in St Louis County (http://tinyurl.com/jnm9jah)

The maps below come from the 

• Office of Broadband Development interactive map, reflecting data updated on December 16, 2025 – tracking wireline access.
• The FCC National Broadband Maps, reflecting data updated November 28, 2025 – tracking fixed wireless access.

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: 82
Code: Yellow
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Pine County: Progress is coming

Pine County’s broadband coverage increased greatly in the last year and with BEAD proposing to fund fiber in more than 2000 locations, their status has been upgraded from Red to Yellow.

At the time of writing, the MN BEAD final proposal has not been approved, but the current proposal would mean coverage for 2,587 locations in Pine County. The majority of locations will get fiber, however a few will get satellite or fixed wireless connection, which does not qualify as served in the MN statute.

There is still Line Extension funding yet to be distributed, which helps connect handfuls of  houses just beyond existing infrastructure. (Pine has benefitted from earlier Line Extension awards. So that seems like a strategy worth considering.)

Statewide, there have been changes with local and national broadband providers, which also leads to uncertainty. The emergence of East Central Energy has been a positive force in Pine County.

Possible BEAD support

The Minnesota BEAD Final Proposal has not yet been approved so the information below is subject to change; it includes the number of locations by county specifying provider and broadband type. (Learn more.)

Locations in Anoka: 2,587
The locations include a majority of fiber and a few satellite and fixed wireless connections.

Local Government Match for State Broadband Grants:

Over the years, many local governments (County, Municipal, Tribal) have invested in broadband deployment. This year, I have tracked how much local investment has been used to match MN State Grants. Local governments invest in other ways too, but this was one number I could realistically find and quantify investment by county, which means investment in that county, whether by county, cities or other local government entity.

In Pine $160,000 was invested in one project over the years.

New Posts from 2025:

• Pine County providers received $735,691.19 in the first three rounds of Line Extension awards
• Office of Broadband Development visits ECE in Pine City (Pine County)
• Pine County offers support and possible funding to Mediacom BEAD application
• ECE expands broadband from east of Hinckley to the Wisconsin border (Pine County)
• Pine County is focused on ubiquitous broadband – better maps and a speed test could help
• Office of Broadband Development and Legislators visit East Central Energy fiber network in Pine City

Highlights from Past Reports

• 2023 estimates indicated that it would cost $84.4 million to get ubiquitous broadband in the county. (I haven’t updated the number because recent report offers scenarios of costs based on BEAD funding rules that make current estimates less predictable than in the past. Yet, I think the number is still helpful.)

• In 2022, Pine ranked 86 using Microsoft’s Digital Equity Tool, which looks at various factors of a community.

Past Grants

• Savage Communications Inc – SCI – East Central MN
  Grant: $3,563,817, Local Match: $3,713,817, Total Budget: $7,277,634
• 2022: East Central Energy, $4,750,000.00 (serving Pine and Kanabec) (Learn more)

• 2022: East Central Energy – Kanabec Central – GRANT $4,403,000

• 2017 – SCI (Savage Communications Inc.) — Dell Grove Township Broadband Expansion – GRANT $118,248

Find more articles on broadband in Pine County (http://tinyurl.com/ha8burg)

The maps below come from the 

• Office of Broadband Development interactive map, reflecting data updated on December 16, 2025 – tracking wireline access.
• The FCC National Broadband Maps, reflecting data updated November 28, 2025 – tracking fixed wireless access.

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: 46
Code:  Yellow
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Mower County incremental improvement

Mower County continues on their path of incremental improvement. They ran into a road block when LTD Broadband was awarded federal funding and then funding was revoked. They lost the funding but also lost time when they were unable to apply for grants because of LTD Broadband’s award. It looks like BEAD funding won’t help much but there are other providers in the area. They retain their Yellow status – barely.

At the time of writing, the MN BEAD final proposal has not been approved, but the current proposal would mean coverage for 165 locations in Anoka County. Some locations will get fiber but the majority will get a satellite, which does not qualify as served in the MN statute.

There is still Line Extension funding yet to be distributed, which helps connect handfuls of  houses just beyond existing infrastructure. (Mower has recently benefitted from earlier Line Extension awards. So that seems hopeful for them as well.)

There have been changes with local and national broadband providers, which also leads to uncertainty, as Mower saw with LTD Broadband (aka GigFire).

Broadband Access:

Possible BEAD support

The Minnesota BEAD Final Proposal has not yet been approved so the information below is subject to change; it includes the number of locations by county specifying provider and broadband type. (Learn more.)

Locations in Mower: 165
The locations include a majority of satellite and fixed wireless connections.

Local Government Match for State Broadband Grants:

Over the years, many local governments (County, Municipal, Tribal) have invested in broadband deployment. This year, I have tracked how much local investment has been used to match MN State Grants. Local governments invest in other ways too, but this was one number I could realistically find and quantify investment by county, which means investment in that county, whether by county, cities or other local government entity.

In Mower 0 was invested over the years. However, in Nov 2024, they  approved an investment of $100,00 Spectrum’s broadband deployment in Austin if they got funding.

New Posts from 2025:

• Mower County providers received $71,966.49 in the first three rounds of Line Extension awards

Highlights from Past Reports

• 2023 estimates indicated that it would cost $22.8 million to get ubiquitous broadband in the county. (I haven’t updated the number because recent report offers scenarios of costs based on BEAD funding rules that make current estimates less predictable than in the past. Yet, I think the number is still helpful.)
• In 2022, Mower ranked 51 using Microsoft’s Digital Equity Tool, which looks at various factors of a community.

Past Grants

• County: Mower – Arvig – Arvig – Mower Cty
  Grant: $3,129,412, Local Match: $1,043,137, Total Budget: $4,172,549
• County: Mower – Spectrum Mid-America, LLC – Spectrum-Mower County
  Grant: $414,699, Local Match: $614,698, Total Budget: $1,029,397

• MN State Grant awarded in 2021: KMTelecom – Rock Dell Southwest Fiber Build – GRANT $404,709 This last mile project will serve approximately 96 unserved households, 70 farms and five unserved businesses in rural Vernon Township in Dodge County and Sargeant Township in Mower County.

Find more articles on broadband in Mower County (http://tinyurl.com/j9sr5gf)

The maps below come from the 

• Office of Broadband Development interactive map, reflecting data updated on December 16, 2025 – tracking wireline access.
• The FCC National Broadband Maps, reflecting data updated November 28, 2025 – tracking fixed wireless access.

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: 47
Code: Yellow
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Morrison County: steady progress but BEAD funding is not likely to help

Morrison County has had incremental broadband expansion in the last few years, which is why they retain their Yellow status. They been actively engaged in seeking better broadband for several years, including as part of the Resilient Region as a Blandin Broadband Community. They are making slow progress. Unfortunately, it seems that BEAD is funding primarily satellite connections, which doesn’t help meet state goals.

At the time of writing, the MN BEAD final proposal has not been approved, but the current proposal would mean coverage for 687 locations in Morrison County. Some locations will qualify for fiber, but the majority will get a satellite or fixed wireless connection, which does not qualify as served in the MN statute.

There is still Line Extension funding yet to be distributed, which helps connect handfuls of  houses just beyond existing infrastructure. (Morrison has benefitted from earlier Line Extension awards. So that seems hopeful for them as well.)

Statewide, there have been changes with local and national broadband providers, which also leads to uncertainty.

Possible BEAD support

The Minnesota BEAD Final Proposal has not yet been approved so the information below is subject to change; it includes the number of locations by county specifying provider and broadband type. (Learn more.)

Locations in Morrison: 687
The locations include a majority of satellite and some fiber connections.

Local Government Match for State Broadband Grants:

Over the years, many local governments (County, Municipal, Tribal) have invested in broadband deployment. This year, I have tracked how much local investment has been used to match MN State Grants. Local governments invest in other ways too, but this was one number I could realistically find and quantify investment by county, which means investment in that county, whether by county, cities or other local government entity.

In Aitkin 0 was invested over the years.

New Posts from 2025:

• Morrison County providers received $946.640 in the first three rounds of Line Extension awards

Highlights from Past Reports

• 2023 estimates indicated that it would cost $24.1 million to get ubiquitous broadband in the county. (I haven’t updated the number because recent report offers scenarios of costs based on BEAD funding rules that make current estimates less predictable than in the past. Yet, I think the number is still helpful.)

• In 2022, Morrison ranked 80 using Microsoft’s Digital Equity Tool, which looks at various factors of a community.

Past Grants

• County: Morrison – Benton Cooperative Telephone Company Buckman Township
  Grant: $1,248,430, Local Match: $2,318,518, Total Budget: $3,566,948
• County: Morrison – Upsala Coop Tel Assoc dba Sytek – Sytek Swanville North Moose Lake
  Grant: $3,689,967, Local Match: $1,229,989, Total Budget: $4,919,956

• 2022: Morrison County will benefit from a ReConnect grant through Upsala Cooperative.

• 2017 – Benton Cooperative Telephone Company – Rice Ramey – GRANT $765,015
• 2016 – BENTON COOPERATIVE TELEPHONE COMPANY BUCKMAN – GRANT: $276,230
• 2014 – Consolidated Telephone Cooperative, Region 5 Virtual Highway Project – Amount $2 million
• 2019: CTC (Consolidated Telephone Company) – Fort Ripley/Executive Acres Project – GRANT $830,587
• 2019: Benton Cooperative Telephone Company – Ramey Phase I – GRANT $936,759

• MN State Grants awarded in 2021: Benton Cooperative Telephone Company – Ramey Phase 2 Project – GRANT $338,011 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.

• Sytek Communications – Morrison/Todd/Stearns County FTTP Project – GRANT $1,048,668 This last mile project will bring service to 130 locations in Southwest Morrison, Southeastern Todd and Northeastern Stearns counties.

Find more articles on broadband in Morrison County (http://tinyurl.com/hxkk5ur)

The maps below come from the 

• Office of Broadband Development interactive map, reflecting data updated on December 16, 2025 – tracking wireline access.
• The FCC National Broadband Maps, reflecting data updated November 28, 2025 – tracking fixed wireless access.

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: 60
Code: Yellow
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Mille Lacs County: More progress made

Mille Lacs County has seen good broadband expansion in the last year, they have the opportunity to get more fiber in the area with BEAD funding and continue to engage with local coop East Central Energy (ECE), subsequently they get bumped from Red to Yellow status.

At the time of writing, the MN BEAD final proposal has not been approved, but the current proposal would mean coverage for 453 locations in Mille Lacs County. The majority of locations will get fiber but the rest will received a mix of satellite or fixed wireless connection, which does not qualify as served in the MN statute.

There is still Line Extension funding yet to be distributed, which helps connect handfuls of  houses just beyond existing infrastructure. (Mille Lacs has not benefitted from earlier Line Extension awards. So that may be a strategy worth considering.)

Statewide, there have been changes with local and national broadband providers, which also leads to uncertainty. In Mille Lacs, that uncertainty is mitigating with the arrival of ECE.

 Possible BEAD support

The Minnesota BEAD Final Proposal has not yet been approved so the information below is subject to change; it includes the number of locations by county specifying provider and broadband type. (Learn more.)

Locations in Anoka: 453
The locations include a majority of fiber with some satellite and fixed wireless connections.

 Local Government Match for State Broadband Grants:

Over the years, many local governments (County, Municipal, Tribal) have invested in broadband deployment. This year, I have tracked how much local investment has been used to match MN State Grants. Local governments invest in other ways too, but this was one number I could realistically find and quantify investment by county, which means investment in that county, whether by county, cities or other local government entity.

In Mille Laces $242,200 was invested in two programs over the years.

No New Posts from 2025

Highlights from Past Reports

• 2023 estimates indicated that it would cost $34 million to get ubiquitous broadband in the county. (I haven’t updated the number because recent report offers scenarios of costs based on BEAD funding rules that make current estimates less predictable than in the past. Yet, I think the number is still helpful.)
• In 2022, Mille Lacs ranked 81 using Microsoft’s Digital Equity Tool, which looks at various factors of a community.
• Mille Lacs County was part of the Blandin Broadband Communities (BBC) initiative from 2012-2014.

Past Grants

• County: Mille Lacs – East Central Energy Mille Lacs North
  Grant: $3,604,567, Local Match: $5,637,915, Total Budget: $9,242,482
• County: Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs – East Central Energy Mille Lacs Central
  Grant: $3,267,902, Local Match: $5,111,333, Total Budget: $8,379,235
• County: Isanti, Mille Lacs – East Central Energy – ECE Mille Lacs South
  Grant: $4,885,809, Local Match: $8,319,081, Total Budget: $13,204,890

• 2022: Savage Communications Inc. (SCI) – Northern Mille Lacs County 2022: Broadband Expansion – GRANT $476,108
• Benton Cooperative Telephone Company – Borgholm Township Project – GRANT $1,118,289 (Learn more)

• 2016 – BENTON COOPERATIVE TELEPHONE COMPANY BOCK – GRANT: $510,000
• 2019: Benton Cooperative Telephone Company – Ramey Phase I – GRANT $936,759

• MN State Grants awarded in 2021: Savage Communications Inc. (SCI) – Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe (Onamia) Broadband Expansion – GRANT $70,261 This last mile fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) project will serve 102 unserved households within the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Reservation in Mille Lacs County.

• Benton Cooperative Telephone Company – Ramey Phase 2 Project – GRANT $338,011 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.

Find more articles on broadband in Mille Lacs County (http://tinyurl.com/h7wcdjj)

The maps below come from the 

• Office of Broadband Development interactive map, reflecting data updated on December 16, 2025 – tracking wireline access.
• The FCC National Broadband Maps, reflecting data updated November 28, 2025 – tracking fixed wireless access.

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: 63
Code: Yellow
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Meeker County: local providers should be a help

Meeker County has had steady, incremental increase in access since 2017. Meeker County is making good progress. They have several providers interested in the area, yet with less than 80 percent coverage, they retain their yellow ranking.

At the time of writing, the MN BEAD final proposal has not been approved, but the current proposal would mean coverage for 554 locations in Meeker County. The majority of locations will get fiber access but the rest will get satellite, which does not qualify as served in the MN statute.

There is still Line Extension funding yet to be distributed, which helps connect handfuls of  houses just beyond existing infrastructure. (Meeker has benefitted from earlier Line Extension awards. So that seems hopeful for them as well.)

Statewide, there have been changes with local and national broadband providers, which also leads to uncertainty. That might be hopeful for Meeker County with the creation of MC Fiber, under Consolidated Telephone Company and Meeker Cooperative Light and Power, which is located in Meeker County.

Broadband Access:

Possible BEAD support

The Minnesota BEAD Final Proposal has not yet been approved so the information below is subject to change; it includes the number of locations by county specifying provider and broadband type. (Learn more.)

Locations in Meeker: 554
The locations include a majority of satellite and fixed wireless connections.

Local Government Match for State Broadband Grants:

Over the years, many local governments (County, Municipal, Tribal) have invested in broadband deployment. This year, I have tracked how much local investment has been used to match MN State Grants. Local governments invest in other ways too, but this was one number I could realistically find and quantify investment by county, which means investment in that county, whether by county, cities or other local government entity.

In Aitkin 0 was invested over the years.

New Posts from 2025:

• Meeker County providers received $318997.39 in the first three rounds of Line Extension awards
• Broadband provider, Meeker Cooperative Light & Power Association, becomes Meeker Energy

Highlights from Past Reports

• 2023 estimates indicated that it would cost $19.5 million to get ubiquitous broadband in the county. (I haven’t updated the number because recent report offers scenarios of costs based on BEAD funding rules that make current estimates less predictable than in the past. Yet, I think the number is still helpful.)
• In 2022, Meeker ranked 50 using Microsoft’s Digital Equity Tool, which looks at various factors of a community.

Pass Grants:

• 2023: ReConnect grant connecting nearly 500 people, 124 farms, 16 businesses, and one educational facility to high-speed internet in Kandiyohi, Meeker and Stearns counties.
• 2022: Meeker Cooperative Light & Power Association (Vibrant Broadband) – Big Swan Lake – GRANT $94,182
• 2022: Meeker Cooperative Light & Power Association (Vibrant Broadband) – Collinwood Lake – GRANT $104,337
• 2022: Meeker Cooperative Light & Power Association (Vibrant Broadband) – Dunns & Richardson Lakes – GRANT $80,202
• 2022: Meeker Cooperative Light & Power Association (Vibrant Broadband) – Lake Erie – GRANT $19,093
• 2022: Meeker Cooperative Light & Power Association (Vibrant Broadband) – Long Lake – GRANT $29,702 (Learn more)
• MN State Grant awarded in 2021: Meeker Cooperative Light & Power Association (Vibrant Broadband) – Lake Koronis – GRANT $41,927 This last mile project will serve approximately 28 unserved and seven underserved locations in Union Grove Township in Meeker County.

• 2019: Nuvera Communications, Inc. – Hutchinson W Project – GRANT $346,282

Find more articles on broadband in Meeker County (http://tinyurl.com/gltzvoc)

The maps below come from the 

• Office of Broadband Development interactive map, reflecting data updated on December 16, 2025 – tracking wireline access.
• The FCC National Broadband Maps, reflecting data updated November 28, 2025 – tracking fixed wireless access.

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: 64
Code: Yellow
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

 McLeod County: still plugging along

McLeod County rank has dropped and the coverage remains stagnant. However, there has been interest in the area from a couple providers in 2025 and 300+ locations may have access to fiber through BEAD, which is why they retain their Yellow status.

At the time of writing, the MN BEAD final proposal has not been approved, but the current proposal would mean coverage for 625 locations in McLeod County. The majority of locations will get fiber but the others qualify only for satellite funding, which does not qualify as served in the MN statute.

There is still Line Extension funding yet to be distributed, which helps connect handfuls of  houses just beyond existing infrastructure. (McLeod has not benefitted from earlier Line Extension awards. So that may be a strategy worth considering.)

Statewide, there have been changes with local and national broadband providers, which also leads to uncertainty.

Possible BEAD support

The Minnesota BEAD Final Proposal has not yet been approved so the information below is subject to change; it includes the number of locations by county specifying provider and broadband type. (Learn more.)

Locations in McLeod: 625
The locations include a mix of fiber as well as satellite and fixed wireless connections.

Local Government Match for State Broadband Grants:

Over the years, many local governments (County, Municipal, Tribal) have invested in broadband deployment. This year, I have tracked how much local investment has been used to match MN State Grants. Local governments invest in other ways too, but this was one number I could realistically find and quantify investment by county, which means investment in that county, whether by county, cities or other local government entity.

In McLeod 0 was invested over the years.

New Posts from 2025:

• Mediacom Communications launches multi-gig service in Howard Lake and Winsted, Minnesota (McLeod County)
• Mediacom expands multi-gig service to parts of Renville, Sibley, Carver and McLeod Counties
• Mediacom Communications today announces multi-gig broadband in Blue Earth, Brown, McLeod, Meeker, Nicollet, Redwood, Renville, Rice, Scott, Waseca, Watonwan Counties and Lower Sioux Reservation
• Vibrant Broadband spread broadband in rural MN with hybrid fiber and fixed wireless infrastructure

Highlights from Past Reports

• 2023 estimates indicated that it would cost $27 million to get ubiquitous broadband in the county. (I haven’t updated the number because recent report offers scenarios of costs based on BEAD funding rules that make current estimates less predictable than in the past. Yet, I think the number is still helpful.)

• In 2022, McLeod ranked 32 using Microsoft’s Digital Equity Tool, which looks at various factors of a community.

Past Grants:

• 2022: Nuvera Communications, Inc. – Belle Lake and Hutchinson East FTTP – GRANT $1,840,250
• 2022: Mediacom Minnesota LLC – Swan Lake – GRANT $99,156 (Learn more)
• MN State Grants awarded in 2021: Nuvera Communications, Inc. – Hutchinson SE FTTP – GRANT $169,369 This last mile project will serve 42 unserved and five underserved locations in the Hutchinson area of McLeod County.

• Winthrop Telephone Company, Inc. – Bismarck & Transit Township FTTP Project – GRANT $716,000 This last mile project will serve 148 unserved and six underserved locations, including homes, businesses and farms, in Bismarck, Transit and Round Grove townships in Sibley and McLeod counties.

Find more articles on broadband in McLeod County (http://tinyurl.com/hx65gqh)

The maps below come from the 

• Office of Broadband Development interactive map, reflecting data updated on December 16, 2025 – tracking wireline access.
• The FCC National Broadband Maps, reflecting data updated November 28, 2025 – tracking fixed wireless access.

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: 56
Code: Yellow
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Le Sueur County: When Federal Funding gets in the way

Le Sueur County has seen incremental improvements in broadband since 2022 but they are still below 90 percent access, which means they retain their Yellow status.

Le Sueur became a Blandin Broadband Community and the Le Sueur County Broadband Initiative  is active with an annual booth at the County Fair and other activities.

At the time of writing, the MN BEAD final proposal has not been approved, but the current proposal would mean coverage for 1,129 locations in Le Sueur County. The majority of locations will get fiber but a few will get satellite or fixed wireless connection, which does not qualify as served in the MN statute.

There is still Line Extension funding yet to be distributed, which helps connect handfuls of  houses just beyond existing infrastructure. (Le Sueur has benefitted from earlier Line Extension awards. So that seems hopeful for them as well.)

There have been changes with local and national broadband providers, which also leads to uncertainty. Le Sueur is keeping an eye on changes in their area.

Broadband Access:

Possible BEAD support

The Minnesota BEAD Final Proposal has not yet been approved so the information below is subject to change; it includes the number of locations by county specifying provider and broadband type. (Learn more.)

Locations in Le Sueur: 1,129
The locations include a majority of satellite and fixed wireless connections.

Local Government Match for State Broadband Grants:

Over the years, many local governments (County, Municipal, Tribal) have invested in broadband deployment. This year, I have tracked how much local investment has been used to match MN State Grants. Local governments invest in other ways too, but this was one number I could realistically find and quantify investment by county, which means investment in that county, whether by county, cities or other local government entity.

In Le Sueur, $814,00 was invested in three projects over the years.

New Posts from 2025:

• Le Sueur County providers received $127,288 in the first three rounds of Line Extension awards

Highlights from Past Reports

• 2023 estimates indicated that it would cost $21 million to get ubiquitous broadband in the county. (I haven’t updated the number because recent report offers scenarios of costs based on BEAD funding rules that make current estimates less predictable than in the past. Yet, I think the number is still helpful.)
• In 2022, Lake ranked 26 using Microsoft’s Digital Equity Tool, which looks at various factors of a community.
• They were hit hard when LTD Broadband was awarded federal funding and then funding was revoked. They lost the funding but also lost time when they were unable to apply for grants because of LTD Broadband’s award.
• In May 2024, Le Sueur was awarded $1 million for the Le Sueur County Broadband Initiative. These funds will be used to expand broadband access throughout the county.

Past Grants:

• County: Le Sueur – Bevcomm Inc Tyrone Township Fiber Expansion Project
  Grant: $1,101,801, Local Match: $367,267, Total Budget: $1,469,068
• 2022: Bevcomm – Rural Le Sueur County Broadband Expansion Project – Phase Two – GRANT $941,576 (Learn more)

• 2016 – ECKLES TELEPHONE COMPANY (DBA BEVCOMM) RURAL HEIDELBERG– GRANT:  $188,000
• BEVCOMM (Eckles Telephone Company) – Le Sueur County Project – GRANT $1,857,376

Find more articles on broadband in Le Sueur County (http://tinyurl.com/jbg7ghy)

The maps below come from the 

• Office of Broadband Development interactive map, reflecting data updated on December 16, 2025 – tracking wireline access.
• The FCC National Broadband Maps, reflecting data updated November 28, 2025 – tracking fixed wireless access.

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: 36
Code: Yellow
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Lake of the Woods County: Progress in the last year

Lake of the Woods County saw incremental progress in the last year. Last year, they saw nice progress in the last year and that is why their ranking went from red to yellow. The incremental increase in 2025 helps them retain their Yellow.

I don’t hear much about their broadband efforts and they have had no Line Extension or MN Broadband grants in 2024 but I’m hoping the latest success build a momentum leading up to BEAD opportunities.

At the time of writing, the MN BEAD final proposal has not been approved, but the current proposal would mean coverage for 1,437 locations in Anoka County. However, the majority of locations will get a satellite or fixed wireless connection, which does not qualify as served in the MN statute.

There is still Line Extension funding yet to be distributed, which helps connect handfuls of  houses just beyond existing infrastructure. (Anoka has benefitted from earlier Line Extension awards. So that seems hopeful for them as well.) There have been changes with local and national broadband providers, which also leads to uncertainty.

Broadband Access:

Possible BEAD support

The Minnesota BEAD Final Proposal has not yet been approved so the information below is subject to change; it includes the number of locations by county specifying provider and broadband type. (Learn more.)

Locations in Lake of the Woods: 329
The locations include a majority of satellite and fixed wireless connections with some fiber.

Local Government Match for State Broadband Grants:

Over the years, many local governments (County, Municipal, Tribal) have invested in broadband deployment. This year, I have tracked how much local investment has been used to match MN State Grants. Local governments invest in other ways too, but this was one number I could realistically find and quantify investment by county, which means investment in that county, whether by county, cities or other local government entity.

In Lake of the Woods 0 was invested over the years.

New Posts from 2025:

• Lake of the Woods County providers received $41,427 in the first three rounds of Line Extension awards
• Becker County community leaders testify at the MN Legislature on the value of data centers in their community.
• More on Becker County experience recruiting data centers.

Highlights from Past Reports

• 2023 estimates indicated that it would cost $5 million to get ubiquitous broadband in the county. (I haven’t updated the number because recent report offers scenarios of costs based on BEAD funding rules that make current estimates less predictable than in the past. Yet, I think the number is still helpful.)
• In 2022, Lake of the Woods ranked 82 using Microsoft’s Digital Equity Tool, which looks at various factors of a community.
• Lake of the Woods was a Blandin Broadband Community.

Past Grants:

• 2022: Wikstrom Telephone Co. Inc, $665,699.00 (to serve Beltrami, Kittson, Lake of the Woods, Marshall)
• 2016 – SJOBERG’S INC. ROSEAU AND LAKE OF THE WOODS COUNTIES — GRANT: $354,740
• 2016 – WIKSTROM TELEPHONE COMPANY WIKTEL NW MN – GRANT: $950,823
• 2019: Wikstrom Telephone – Wiktel NW MN Broadband Project – GRANT $1,151,526

Find more articles on broadband in Lake of the Woods County (http://tinyurl.com/gpfu7dd)

The maps below come from the 

• Office of Broadband Development interactive map, reflecting data updated on December 16, 2025 – tracking wireline access.
• The FCC National Broadband Maps, reflecting data updated November 28, 2025 – tracking fixed wireless access.

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: 67
Code: Yellow
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Kandiyohi County: stagnant at 80 percent coverage

After some nice expansion last year, Kandiyohi County broadband access stayed stagnant in 2025. They retain their Yellow access because they have been engaged for years and seem to be in line for some fiber funding when BEAD is disbursed.

At the time of writing, the MN BEAD final proposal has not been approved, but the current proposal would mean coverage for 712 locations in Kandiyohi County. A little more than half of locations will get fiber while the rest will get a satellite, which does not qualify as served in the MN statute.

There is still Line Extension funding yet to be distributed, which helps connect handfuls of  houses just beyond existing infrastructure. (Kandiyohi has benefitted from earlier Line Extension awards. So that seems hopeful for them as well.)

Statewide, there have been changes with local and national broadband providers, which also leads to uncertainty.

Broadband Access:

Possible BEAD support

The Minnesota BEAD Final Proposal has not yet been approved so the information below is subject to change; it includes the number of locations by county specifying provider and broadband type. (Learn more.)

Locations in Kandiyohi: 712
The locations include a mix of fiber as well as f satellite and fixed wireless connections.

Local Government Match for State Broadband Grants:

Over the years, many local governments (County, Municipal, Tribal) have invested in broadband deployment. This year, I have tracked how much local investment has been used to match MN State Grants. Local governments invest in other ways too, but this was one number I could realistically find and quantify investment by county, which means investment in that county, whether by county, cities or other local government entity.

In Kandiyohi $3,144,780 was invested for three project over the years.

New Posts from 2025:

• Kandiyohi County providers received $$3,782,73.28 in the first three rounds of Line Extension awards
• Update on Connect Willmar Initiative – open access network in Kandiyohi County

Highlights from Past Reports

• 2023 estimates indicated that it would cost $19.5 million to get ubiquitous broadband in the county. (I haven’t updated the number because recent report offers scenarios of costs based on BEAD funding rules that make current estimates less predictable than in the past. Yet, I think the number is still helpful.)
• In 2022, Kandiyohi ranked 84^th using Microsoft’s Digital Equity Tool, which looks at various factors of a community.

Past Grants

• County: Kandiyohi – Meeker Cooperative Light & Power Association Gennessee Township
  Grant: $662,430, Local Match: $809,637, Total Budget: $1,472,067
• County: Kandiyohi – Representative Dave Baker, Senator Andrew R. Lang – Meeker Cooperative Light & Power Association 58 – Kandiyohi Township
  Grant: $744,965, Local Match: $910,513, Total Budget: $1,655,478
• County: Kandiyohi – Federated Telephone Cooperated – Federated Tel – W Kandiyohi
  Grant: $8,202,000, Local Match: $8,202,000, Total Budget: $16,404,000
• County: Kandiyohi – Meeker Coop Light & Power Association – Meeker Fahlun
  Grant: $590,709, Local Match: $590,710, Total Budget: $1,181,419
• 2023: Meeker Coop Light & Power – Lake Elizabeth-East Lake Lillian Townships – GRANT $1,428,066

• 2023: Meeker Coop Light & Power – Harrison Township – GRANT $533,959
• 2022: Federated Telephone Cooperative, $4,913,505.50

• 2016 – FRONTIER KANDIYOHI INITIATIVE – GRANT: $1,015,275
• 2015 – MVTV Wireless Middle Mile – Grant award: $808,080
• 2017, Consolidated Telecommunications Co. (CTC) was awarded a $4.94 million grant to improve serves in New London, Spicer and Willmar, and Frontier was awarded a grant of $1.02 million to improve service in rural Kandiyohi County. Unfortunately, the CTC project did not work out.

Find more articles on broadband in Kandiyohi. (http://tinyurl.com/z9wk7bm)

The maps below come from the 

• Office of Broadband Development interactive map, reflecting data updated on December 16, 2025 – tracking wireline access.
• The FCC National Broadband Maps, reflecting data updated November 28, 2025 – tracking fixed wireless access.

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: 53
Code:  Yellow
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Houston County: incremental change

Houston County broadband coverage has dipped since last year. It’s within an acceptable margin but it also reflects three years of stagnation.

At the time of writing, the MN BEAD final proposal has not been approved, but the current proposal would mean coverage for 1,594 locations in Houston County. The majority of locations will get fiber but some will get a satellite or fixed wireless connection, which does not qualify as served in the MN statute. That sets up a divide of different qualities.

There is still Line Extension funding yet to be distributed, which helps connect handfuls of  houses just beyond existing infrastructure. (Houston has  not benefitted from earlier Line Extension awards. So this might be a strategy to consider.)

Statewide, there have been changes with local and national broadband providers, which also leads to uncertainty.

With slow progress, Houston County retains their Yellow ranking.

Possible BEAD support

The Minnesota BEAD Final Proposal has not yet been approved so the information below is subject to change; it includes the number of locations by county specifying provider and broadband type. (Learn more.)

Locations in Houston: 1,549
The locations include a majority of fiber with some satellite and fixed wireless connections.

Local Government Match for State Broadband Grants:

Over the years, many local governments (County, Municipal, Tribal) have invested in broadband deployment. This year, I have tracked how much local investment has been used to match MN State Grants. Local governments invest in other ways too, but this was one number I could realistically find and quantify investment by county, which means investment in that county, whether by county, cities or other local government entity.

In Houston, $75,000 was invested on two projects over the years.

New Posts from 2025:

• Brownsville City Council supports Acentek application (Houston County) Highlights from Past Reports

Highlights from Past Reports

• 2023 estimates indicated that it would cost $10.5 million to get ubiquitous broadband in the county. (I haven’t updated the number because recent report offers scenarios of costs based on BEAD funding rules that make current estimates less predictable than in the past. Yet, I think the number is still helpful.)
• In 2022, Houston ranked 19 using Microsoft’s Digital Equity Tool, which looks at various factors of a community.

Past Grants:

• 2022: The investment, provided through the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s ReConnect program, will help connect over 6,000 people, 150 businesses, and 680 farms across Freeborn, Morrison, Stearns, Houston, and Todd counties.

• 2019: AcenTek – Rural Houston Exchange FTTH – GRANT $2,895,318

Find more articles on broadband in Houston County. (http://tinyurl.com/zst4kf5)

The maps below come from the 

• Office of Broadband Development interactive map, reflecting data updated on December 16, 2025 – tracking wireline access.
• The FCC National Broadband Maps, reflecting data updated November 28, 2025 – tracking fixed wireless access.

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: 29
Code:  Yellow
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Grant County: code changes from Red to Yellow

Grant County made great strides in the last year, from 75 percent access to 95.

At the time of writing, the MN BEAD final proposal has not been approved, but the current proposal would mean coverage for 0 locations in Grant County.

There is still Line Extension funding yet to be distributed, which helps connect handfuls of  houses just beyond existing infrastructure. (Grant has not benefitted from earlier Line Extension awards. So that might be an interesting strategy to consider.)

Statewide, there have been changes with local and national broadband providers, which also leads to uncertainty.

Given the great strides Grant has made, I have lifted them from Red to Yellow status. I considered going straight to Green status but the lack of prospects from BEAD held me back.

Possible BEAD support

The Minnesota BEAD Final Proposal has not yet been approved so the information below is subject to change; it includes the number of locations by county specifying provider and broadband type. (Learn more.)

Locations in Grant: 3
The locations will get satellite connections.

Local Government Match for State Broadband Grants:

Over the years, many local governments (County, Municipal, Tribal) have invested in broadband deployment. This year, I have tracked how much local investment has been used to match MN State Grants. Local governments invest in other ways too, but this was one number I could realistically find and quantify investment by county, which means investment in that county, whether by county, cities or other local government entity.

In Grant $202,963 was invested in one project over the years.

No New Posts from 2025:

Highlights from Past Reports

• Last years’ estimates indicated that it would cost $6.4 million to get ubiquitous broadband in the county. (I haven’t updated the number because recent report offers scenarios of costs based on BEAD funding rules that make current estimates less predictable than in the past. Yet, I think the number is still helpful.)

• In 2022, Grant ranked 49 using Microsoft’s Digital Equity Tool, which looks at various factors of a community.

Past Grants:

• Runestone Telephone Association, $2,493,637.00 (to serve Grant, Stevens and Traverse counties)

Find more articles on broadband in Grant County. (http://tinyurl.com/z9n7ea6)

The maps below come from the 

• Office of Broadband Development interactive map, reflecting data updated on December 16, 2025 – tracking wireline access.
• The FCC National Broadband Maps, reflecting data updated November 28, 2025 – tracking fixed wireless access.

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: 73
Code: Yellow
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Fillmore County: Moving forward at a pace

Fillmore County has seen steady progress in broadband expansion in the last couple years. The receive funding at the end of 2024, which may not have been completely realized by now.

At the time of writing, the MN BEAD final proposal has not been approved, but the current proposal would mean coverage for 765 locations in Fillmore County. Some locations will get fiber and some will get satellite or fixed wireless connection, which does not qualify as served in the MN statute.

There is still Line Extension funding yet to be distributed, which helps connect handfuls of  houses just beyond existing infrastructure. (Fillmore has not benefitted from earlier Line Extension awards. So that may be a new route to consider.)

Statewide, there have been changes with local and national broadband providers, which also leads to uncertainty. But some of that change has increased provider engagement in Fillmore County, which is part of how they retain their Yellow status.

Possible BEAD support

The Minnesota BEAD Final Proposal has not yet been approved so the information below is subject to change; it includes the number of locations by county specifying provider and broadband type. (Learn more.)

Locations in Fillmore: 765
The locations include a mix of fiber as well as satellite and fixed wireless connections.

Local Government Match for State Broadband Grants:

Over the years, many local governments (County, Municipal, Tribal) have invested in broadband deployment. This year, I have tracked how much local investment has been used to match MN State Grants. Local governments invest in other ways too, but this was one number I could realistically find and quantify investment by county, which means investment in that county, whether by county, cities or other local government entity.

In Aitkin $168,000 was invested in two projects over the years.

New Posts from 2025:

• More info on MiEnergy’s ReConnect broadband funding in Fillmore and Winona counties
• MiBroadband building better broadband in Fillmore County with MN State Broadband grant
• Broadband expansion begins in Fillmore County with MiBroadband and MN Broadband grants

Highlights from Past Reports

• 2023 estimates indicated that it would cost $22.1 million to get ubiquitous broadband in the county. (I haven’t updated the number because recent report offers scenarios of costs based on BEAD funding rules that make current estimates less predictable than in the past. Yet, I think the number is still helpful.)

• In 2022, Fillmore ranked 59 using Microsoft’s Digital Equity Tool, which looks at various factors of a community.

Past Grants:

• Ace Telephone Association Rural Canton
  Grant: $2,567,200, Local Match: $3,850,800, Total Budget: $6,418,000
• MiEnergy Cooperative South West Fremont
  Grant: $3,164,721, Local Match: $4,747,086, Total Budget: $7,911,807
• Mediacom LLC – Mediacom – Oakhill/Spring Valley
  Grant: $33,863, Local Match: $79,015, Total Budget: $112,878

• 2023: Harmony Telephone Company – North Fountain Fiber-To-The-Premises GRANT – $2,991,038
• 2023: Harmony Telephone Company – Rural Preston Fiber-To-The-Premises GRANT – $1,044,436
• 2022: Harmony Telephone Company, $1,129,740.00

• 2017 – Rushford Village/Rural Rushford Fiber Build – Grant $2,011,628
• 2017 – Mediacom Minnesota LLC – Fountain 2018 Broadband Build – GRANT $202,125
• 2016 – ACENTEK RURAL LANESBORO FIBER BUILD – GRANT: $1,777,936
• (2020), Harmony Telephone received a USDA ReConnect award to better serve Fillmore County. They received a $2.7 million ReConnect Program loan and a $2.7 million ReConnect Program grant.
• AcenTek – Rural Peterson Exchange FTTH – GRANT $1,492,096 This last mile project will serve 214 unserved households, 18 unserved businesses, 88 unserved farms, and two unserved community anchor institutions as well as 47 underserved households and five underserved businesses in areas of Fillmore and Winona counties. In a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota and Fillmore County EDA, AcenTek will improve these 374 locations’ broadband levels up to 1 Gbps download and 100 Mbps upload.
• MiBroadband, LLC – Rural Preston FTTP – GRANT $1,173,330 The Rural Preston fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) project will serve 231 unserved and 26 underserved locations in the rural portions of southern Fillmore County.

Find more articles on broadband in Fillmore County. (http://tinyurl.com/hxe6jal)

The maps below come from the 

• Office of Broadband Development interactive map, reflecting data updated on December 16, 2025 – tracking wireline access.
• The FCC National Broadband Maps, reflecting data updated November 28, 2025 – tracking fixed wireless access.

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)