Category Archives: Rural

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

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Ookla reports…

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

Here are a few of their top takeaways:

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

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

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

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

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

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Paul Bunyan Communications announces…

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

National Rural Electric Cooperative Association asks for flexibility with new BEAD funding round

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The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) announces…

NRECA CEO Jim Matheson today issued the following statement after the National Telecommunications and Information Agency (NTIA) announced a new round of Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program funding to be made available for states to address locations that may remain unserved.

“BEAD’s initial investment is failing rural America. Delayed implementation, shifting guidance, cost constraints and unrealistic funding assumptions have slowed progress, discouraged participation and weakened a historic opportunity to bring long-overdue broadband service to rural communities. Directing further investment under the same misguided approach will not deliver universal connectivity to rural America.

“NTIA must allow flexibility for cost increases created by program delays, align funding levels with the actual cost of deploying broadband infrastructure in America’s hardest-to-reach communities and remove fatally flawed pole attachment rules that clearly break from long-standing federal policy. Without correcting course, BEAD risks leaving rural America behind.”

More than 200 rural electric cooperatives across the U.S. are working to bridge the digital divide. NTIA and State Broadband Offices are important partners in amplifying these efforts and expanding access to affordable broadband in rural areas.

EVENT Nov 30 – Dec 2: AscendRural National Summit

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From the planners…

Bridging Innovation and Rural Communities to Improve Well-being

Join leaders from across sectors to explore what’s working, and what’s next, in advancing rural well-being through technology.

The Summit is designed as a journey – from understanding today’s rural transformation moment, to discovering innovative models and partnerships, to turning ideas into meaningful action.

Register today and help shape the future of rural well-being.

There are a few sessions that feature technology.

GAO recommends FCC and NTIA work more closely with underserved areas and focus on sustainability

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The GAO (Government Accountability Office reports…

Federal agencies target funding to underserved areas using FCC mapping data showing which locations do and do not have broadband access, as reported by providers. To improve data accuracy, FCC accepts challenges from the public and makes updates if needed. Some program participants and stakeholders said this challenge process was burdensome and unclear. For example, challenging a
large number of locations in an area could be difficult for smaller communities and providers with limited resources. Without targeted outreach to smaller communities and providers to address such difficulties, FCC may not be able to obtain the most accurate information about broadband availability and therefore may not be able to effectively identify and target funding to underserved areas.
As one of the largest programs focused on broadband deployment GAO reviewed, BEAD holds great potential to make broadband available to areas that have been underserved. GAO has previously reported on issues providers face in high-cost areas, including financial sustainability. In October 2025, NTIA announced a requirement that BEAD providers certify that they will not accept federal funding from other sources for broadband deployment and operations costs for locations funded by BEAD for at least 10 years. This provision is intended to ensure that BEAD projects are financially self-sustainable without additional federal funding. NTIA’s BEAD documentation for states and territories states that there may be a basis for them to request certain data from providers. However, NTIA did not detail the circumstances that could warrant such a request. By providing more details, NTIA would help states anticipate potential
problems and prevent service lapses to underserved areas when providers cannot continue providing services due to financial issues.

Getting into specifics…

Recommendations for Executive Action
Agency Affected – Federal Communications Commission
Recommendation – The Chair of FCC should conduct targeted outreach to smaller participants (such as local and tribal governments and providers), to identify and address difficulties they have experienced completing the bulk Broadband Data Collection challenge process. (Recommendation 1)

Agency Affected – National Telecommunications and Information Administration
Recommendation – The NTIA Administrator should provide information to NTIA’s partner states and territories on when and why to request additional information from BEAD subrecipients, to monitor and support their ability to remain financially sustainable in offering affordable broadband during the 10-year federal interest period. (Recommendation 2)

The Foundation for Rural Service tours policymakers to learn about rural broadband with a stop in Ruthton MN

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The Foundation for Rural Service reports…

Thanks to the generosity of NTCA members, the Foundation for Rural Service (FRS) creates opportunities for policymakers to experience firsthand the realities of rural America. Last week, 14 staff members from the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate joined FRS for the 2026 Congressional Broadband Tour — an immersive, four-day educational program that this year spanned South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska. We believe the true impact of broadband is best understood by visiting communities where reliable connectivity is transforming lives, businesses, healthcare, education, agriculture and public safety. That was the tour’s purpose: to move beyond maps and funding formulas and invite congressional staff to experience rural broadband where it is being built, maintained and used every day.

I’ll skip right to the Minnesota portion of the tour…

From Flandreau, S.D., we traveled to the second and third states, where attendees witnessed broadband construction in action. Stops with Terry Nelson, general manager of Woodstock Telephone Company (Ruthton, Minn.), and Ryan Boone, CEO of Premier Communications (Sioux Center, Iowa), highlighted the complexity of fiber deployment — from underground boring to splicing fiber on the side of the road — and underscored the significant investments required to reach even the smallest rural communities. Many thanks to Ryan Boone and the team at Premier Communications for the tour of their central office and for the opportunity for congressional staff members to try their hand at splicing fiber.

The group also saw how broadband has become indispensable across virtually every sector of rural life. At Dordt University’s Agriculture Stewardship Center, a presentation highlighted the importance of agriculture to the state economy and how data-driven equipment, remote monitoring, and connected technologies help farmers improve efficiency and sustainability. The stop also gave attendees the chance to get inside a brand-new John Deere combine.

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

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RCR Wireless News reports…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Farm Bill doesn’t advance from Senate Agriculture Committee, which means no advance for broadband provisions

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Broadband Breakfast reports…

The fate of millions of dollars in rural broadband funding remains unresolved as Congress heads into its August recess.

The Senate Agriculture Committee failed Thursday to advance the Agricultural Act of 2026, the chamber’s version of a long-delayed farm bill. The stalled bill includes language that would codify and consolidate the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s ReConnect broadband program, which has distributed $5.5 billion in rural broadband funding since 2018, but has never operated on a permanent statutory basis.

The Senate draft, released in June by the office of Committee Chairman John Boozman, R-Ark., and revised again in late July, would authorize up to $100 million a year for ReConnect through 2031, targeting underserved areas where 90 percent of households lack access to broadband service offering speeds of 25 Megabits per second (Mbps) download and 3 Mbps upload.

Telehealth helps with access to mental healthcare for rural Minnesota’s communities of color – when they have broadband

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A recent publication from the Center for Rural Policy reports…

Rural Minnesota is changing. Across its small towns and open landscapes, people of color are becoming a larger part of the community—some newly arrived from other countries, others whose families have called this region home for generations.

As our previous research has shown (here and here), finding help for mental health concerns can be a struggle for anyone living in rural areas, but it can be even harder for BIPOC residents (Black, Indigenous and People of Color). Whether they are recent immigrants trying to navigate an unfamiliar system or long-time Minnesotans seeking care that understands their experiences, the challenges of finding accessible mental health services that meet their needs remain significant.

This makes access difficult…

While statewide outpatient statistics are not readily available, national evidence shows that rural residents face longer drives to outpatient clinics. The greater distance between communities and the sparse population of smaller towns create adverse economies of scale that increase the cost of providing services. This in turn has led to clinic closures and healthcare consolidation, further squeezing the supply of services over the years as healthcare companies try to keep revenue ahead of expenses. The closures also result in even longer drives to receive services. …

A lack of transportation or public transportation also limits people in rural areas,[3] who are more likely to not have their own vehicles or are unable to drive due to age, income, or disability even as the distances patients need to travel to get services continue to increase. According to a 2024 Minnesota Department of Health report on the state of rural healthcare, rural patients seeking inpatient mental health and chemical dependency treatment must travel three times farther than their urban counterparts.[4]

But while these challenges are tough for all rural families looking for help, they are even greater for people of color.

The report offers several recommendations for improvement, including telehealth for those with adequate broadband…

Telehealth can especially help rural people of color access appropriate, effective mental healthcare, says Terica Toliver, Senior Director of Clinical Therapy at Louisiana-based Iris Telehealth, which provides therapy via telehealth through her contract with ElevaCare in Southwest Minnesota. Telehealth gives people of color a broader range of providers to choose from, including providers who share the same racial and cultural backgrounds.

It’s not a perfect solution, however. Hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans don’t have access to the broadband internet service required for telehealth to work reliably,[26] and telehealth isn’t for everyone. Some patients simply don’t feel comfortable talking to a stranger about their mental health on a digital screen.

EVENT June 24: AI without the hype: What rural broadband operators need to know

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From Benton Institute for Broadband & Society…

Telecompetitor

Wednesday, June 24, 2026 – 3:00pm
Time Zone
EST
Virtual Event

Rural broadband operators are navigating a moment of real change. AI is reshaping how networks are used, how they’re managed, and how providers can stay competitive. But sorting useful strategies from empty buzzwords isn’t easy.

A panel of industry leaders will share proven approaches to using AI and automation to improve network efficiency, deliver better customer experiences, and open new revenue streams.

RadioLink closure in Southern MN leaves customers without options

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I’ve reported on this story earlier, but I thought AOL did a nice job with perspective. In the Cities, we have more options than some rural areas, and this is a great example of why choices are important…

If you live in an urban or well-populated area, you likely get your internet from one of the major internet service providers (ISPs) such as Verizon or T-Mobile. Those in rural areas, however, likely have to rely on smaller ISPs, with fewer options than urban areas because major companies can’t justify expanding their services to cover sparsely populated regions.

So, while urban residents will likely have at least a backup option if they aren’t happy with a provider’s services, that’s not a luxury that more rural folk can rely on. Spare a thought, then, for residents in rural Minnesota who have lost access to the internet after RadioLink Internet (RLI) abruptly ceased service without any warning on June 1, 2026. Some customers initially thought the outage was temporary, but it turned out that the company had also shut down its website and phone lines. RLI states that it sent out an email to affected customers, but some residents say they never received any notification of the abrupt closure.

RLI serviced about 5,000 square miles in southern Minnesota. In an email, the company’s owner, Daniel Petsinger, told local news station KTTC that the sudden closure was due to a dwindling customer base and changes in the political climate. The company has filed for bankruptcy, leaving customers in the lurch.

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

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The USDA reports...

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

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

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

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

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

Maintaining Strong Field Presence

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

Streamlining Loan and Grant Processing

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

Improving IT Systems

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

Aligning With Executive Orders

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

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

Fiber Broadband says Precision Agriculture needs fiber

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Fiber Broadband Association releases a report that outlines the benefits of fiber for precision agriculture…

Precision Ag depends on data and broadband networks. Farming is transforming into a highly connected, data-driven industry and this shift fundamentally changes the broadband requirements of rural America.

Current 100/20 Mbps thresholds do not reflect these realities and risk prematurely classifying agricultural communities as “served,” but a symmetrical baseline of at least 100/100 Mbps better reflects the operational demands of Precision Ag today and the technologies emerging over the next decade. Among broadband technologies, fiber remains uniquely positioned to meet these requirements due to its symmetric capacity, extremely low latency, and virtually unlimited scalability.

To ensure U.S. agriculture remains competitive and resilient, broadband policy must evolve past minimum speed thresholds and “good enough” infrastructure to reflect the realities of data-driven farming. Investing in scalable fiber infrastructure ensures that rural America and the nation’s food supply remain competitive in a rapidly evolving agricultural economy.

It makes sense that the Fiber Broadband Association would feel that way. They also list some increased needs they predict will happen as a result of AI…

Practically, technology advancements and AI integration push networks toward the following requirements:
• More upstream throughput (moving raw/processed data to models)
• Lower-latency access (interactive recommendations and control)
• More reliability (automation cannot “pause” for a flaky link or bad weather)
• Edge computing architectures (local processing plus cloud synchronization)
• Scalability (more devices and higher data rates over time)
• Security (critical operational data, ransomware risks, supply chain access)

Citizens group aims to eliminate the Agriculture Department’s Rural Utilities Service

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Broadband Breakfast reports on an effort to eliminate a longstanding source of broadband funding…

A government watchdog group is calling on Congress to eliminate the Agriculture Department’s Rural Utilities Service, arguing that its broadband programs are redundant given billions already allocated through other federal initiatives.
Citizens Against Government Waste said existing USDA broadband efforts duplicate funding provided through the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program, the federal government’s primary initiative to expand high-speed internet access.
The group pointed to a 2023 Government Accountability Office report that identified more than 133 broadband-related programs across 15 federal agencies, raising concerns about overlap. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr has said total federal broadband funding could reach as much as $800 billion.