Rank: 32
Code: Green
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

 Crow Wing County: Could be helped by BEAD funding

Crow Wing County has remained stagnant in 2025 but they are in line to get a lot of fiber connections when the BEAD funds are disbursed. Unfortunately, the locations that aren’t getting fiber and going to get satellite, which does not qualify to help them reach the MN State speed goals. That may cause a divide between based on access their locations.

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 Crow Wing: 1,174
The locations include a majority of fiber and some 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.

Crow Wing has not invested over the years.

New Posts from 2025:

• New partnership, Tri-Co, focused on deploying broadband to Cass and Crown Wing Counties

Highlights from Past Reports

• 2023 estimates indicated that it would cost $51 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, Crow Wing ranked 30 using Microsoft’s Digital Equity Tool, which looks at various factors of a community.

Past Grants:

• 2022: Tri-Co Technologies, LLC dba Crosslake Communications, $343,552.00

• 2016 – TDS TELECOM CASS & CROW WING COUNTIES — GRANT: $3,000,000
  2015 – Consolidated Telecommunications Company – Fort Ripley Phase II
  Grant award: $759,525
• 2014 – Consolidated Telephone Cooperative, Region 5 Virtual Highway Project – Amount $2 million
• 2020: CTC (Consolidated Telephone Company) – Fort Ripley/Executive Acres Project – GRANT $830,587
• Consolidated Telephone Company (CTC) – Stark-Ross Lake Area – GRANT $350,805 This last mile project will serve approximately 180 unserved locations in a portion of Ross Lake Township in Crow Wing County.
• Crosslake Communications – O’Brien/Goodrich Lake Fiber Project – GRANT $618,970 This last mile O’Brien/Goodrich Lake Fiber Project will serve approximately 232 unserved households in Crow Wing County.

Find more articles on broadband in Crow Wing County. (http://tinyurl.com/zechgaw)

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: 16
Code: Green
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

 Clearwater County: Stagnant but so close

At the time of writing, the MN BEAD final proposal has not been approved, but the current proposal would mean coverage for 8 locations in Clearwater County. However, all of locations will get a satellite, which does not qualify as served in the MN statute. It’s telling to see that only 8 addresses in the county got BEAD bids.

There is still Line Extension funding yet to be distributed, which helps connect handfuls of  houses just beyond existing infrastructure. (Clearwater has not benefitted from earlier Line Extension awards. Maybe it’s something worth considering.) Statewide, there have been changes with local and national broadband providers, which also leads to uncertainty.

Despite staying stagnant, Clearwater is too close to goal to get any ranking other than green.

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 Clearwater: 8
The locations will all 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.

Clearwater has not invested over the years.

New Posts from 2025:

• EVENT October 15: MN Broadband Task Force Meeting in Clearwater MN
• MN Broadband Task Force Oct 2025 – at TelCom Construction Training Center (includes video)

Highlights from Past Reports

• 2023 estimates indicated that it would cost $558,000 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, Clearwater ranked 75 using Microsoft’s Digital Equity Tool, which looks at various factors of a community.

2024 Grants:

• Garden Valley Telephone Company 2024 Rural Mahnomen County
  Grant: $4,626,012, Local Match: $1,542,008, Total Budget: $6,168,020
• In 2018, Garden Valley Telephone Company received a $20 million loan from the USDA to deploy fiber in Polk, Clearwater, Pennington, Marshall and Red Lake counties.

• AT&T launched a new FirstNet cell site in Clearwater County.

Find more articles on broadband in Clearwater County. (http://tinyurl.com/homdjrt)

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: 41
Code: Green
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Clay County: Continued improvement gets closer to the goal

Clay County has seen continued improvement in broadband access, most recent cause was probably their $5 million ReConnect award.

At the time of writing, the MN BEAD final proposal has not been approved, but the current proposal would mean coverage for 30 locations in Clay County. Some of the locations will get fiber and some locations 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. (Clay 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.

Clay County retains green status due to continued progress.

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 Clay: 30
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.

Clay has not invested over the years.

New Posts from 2025:

• Clay County providers received $200,522.72 in the first three rounds of Line Extension awards
• Gateway Fiber expands fiber into Moorhead (Clay County)
• More info on Red River Communications’ ReConnect broadband project in Clay County

Highlights from Past Reports

• 2023 estimates indicated that it would cost $2.6 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, Clay ranked 27 using Microsoft’s Digital Equity Tool, which looks at various factors of a community.

• Clay County will benefit from a ReConnect award: Red River Rural Telephone Association – The investment will be used to deploy high-speed fiber optics to 17 businesses, 55 farms, and one school in Clay County, and 482 people will benefit. They received $5,166,742 as a grant.

Past Grants

• Red River Communications – Red River – Rural Hawley
  Grant: $970,411, Local Match: $970,411, Total Budget: $1,940,822

• 2022: 702 Communications – Western Clay County Kragnes Township– GRANT $2,624,830
• 2019: Arvig (Loretel Systems, Inc.) – Cormorant Lakes Area Project – GRANT $430,780

Find more articles on broadband in Clay County. (http://tinyurl.com/hcgg9rm)

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: 17
Code: Green
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Carver County: CarverLink makes plans for 2025

Carver County is lucky to have CarverLink, a publicly owned broadband fiber optics network that celebrated a 10-year anniversary in September 2023.

At the time of writing, the MN BEAD final proposal has not been approved, but the current proposal would mean coverage for 460 locations in Carver County. Some of the locations will get fiber while some 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. (Carver 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.

With leadership from CarverLink, Carver County retains its green 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 Carver: 460
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.

Carver has not invested over the years.

New Posts from 2025:

• Carver County providers received $65,664 in the first three rounds of Line Extension awards
• Carver County is getting closer and closer to ubiquitous Gig coverage
• Mediacom expands multi-gig service to parts of Renville, Sibley, Carver and McLeod Counties
• Comcast to expand broadband to Prior Lake, Savage, Victoria and Waconia (Carver and Scott Counties)

Highlights from Past Reports

• 2023 estimates indicated that it would cost $27.5 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, Carver ranked 2 using Microsoft’s Digital Equity Tool, which looks at various factors of a community.

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.

Find more articles on broadband in Carver County. (http://tinyurl.com/jxj9v9x)

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: 11
Code: Green
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Big Stone County still hovering around 99 percent

Big Stone County coverage has hovered around 99 percent since 2018.

At the time of writing, the MN BEAD final proposal has not been approved, but the current proposal would mean coverage for 24 locations in Big Stone County. The majority of locations 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. (Big Stone doesn’t have a history of benefitting from Line Extension awards but they might help.) There have been changes with local and national broadband providers, which also leads to uncertainty.

Big Stone is so close; they maintain their green 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 Big Stone: 24
The locations include mostly 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 Aitkin 0 was invested over the years.

New Posts from 2025:

• Big Stone County providers received $35,000 in the first three rounds of Line Extension awards

Highlights from Past Reports

• 2023 estimates indicated that it would cost $65,000 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, Big Stone ranked 63 using Microsoft’s Digital Equity Tool, which looks at various factors of a community.

Past Grants:

• 2014 – Federated Telephone Cooperative, Big Stone County

Find more articles on broadband in Big Stone County. (http://tinyurl.com/zfgwstd)

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: 19
Code: Green
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

Benton County: so close after steady progress for years

Benton County’s coverage dipped a little in the next year but it seem that it’s within a margin of error. They haven’t benefited from State Grants or Line Extension awards in the last couple years.

At the time of writing, the MN BEAD final proposal has not been approved, but the current proposal would mean coverage for 361 locations in Anoka County. However, the majority of locations will get a satellite, which does not qualify as served in the MN statute.

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

Benton County gets a green ranking because they are so close to the goal, but it feels as if they could use a burst of renewed engagement.

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 Anoka: 361
The locations include a majority of 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 Benton $1,154,008 was invested over the years on four projects.

No new Posts from 2025:

Highlights from Past Reports

• 2023 estimates indicated that it would cost $7 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, Benton ranked 30 using Microsoft’s Digital Equity Tool, which looks at various factors of a community.

Past Grants:

• 2023:  Cooperative Telephone – Benton County South of Trunk Highway 23 – GRANT $2,988,275
• 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
• Benton Cooperative Telephone Company – Ramey Phase 2 Project – GRANT $338,011

Find more articles on broadband in Benton County (https://blandinonbroadband.org/?s=benton+county&submit=Search)

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.

MAPS

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: 8
Code: Green
(See Blandin Foundation interactive map)

 Beltrami County well served thanks to Paul Bunyan

Beltrami County ranks 7 for broadband access; up two places from last year. There are 9 broadband providers in Beltrami County. However Beltrami is hometown to Paul Bunyan Communications.

They have hovered around 99 percent access to broadband of 100 Mbps down and 20 up since 2019. They got a little closer in the last year. They maintain their green 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 Beltrami County.

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

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.)

Beltrami is not listed as a beneficiary of BEAD funding.

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.

Beltrami has not invested in MN State Grant matching over the years.

No New Posts from 2025:

Highlights from Past Reports

• Over the years, Beltrami County (or cities within) has not invested for matches any successful MN Broadband grants.
• Beltrami County will not benefit from a recent MN Broadband grant.
• Beltrami County will not benefit from any line extension awards.
• 2023 estimates indicated that it would cost $230,000 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, Beltrami ranked 40 using Microsoft’s Digital Equity Tool, which looks at various factors of a community.

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.

Find more articles on broadband in Beltrami County. (http://tinyurl.com/z5yvec6)

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)