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

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

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

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

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

The grants come from two DEED programs:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

List of Border-to-Border Grantees by County:

Anoka, Chisago
Midco
$801,700

Blue Earth, Faribault
Easton Telephone Company
$435,838

Brown, Cottonwood
Hanson Communications
$395,138

Chippewa, Renville
Hanson Communications
$2,081,494

Clay
Red River Communications
$970,411

Douglas
Gardonville Cooperative Telephone
$223,521

Fillmore
Mediacom LLC
$33,863

Isanti, Mille Lacs
East Central Energy
$4,885,809

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

Mahnomen
Arvig
$326,111

Mower
Spectrum Mid-America, LLC
$414,699

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

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

Stearns
Albany Mutual Telephone Association
$7,123,175
 
Total: $33,302,177

List of Low Population Density Grantees by County:

Goodhue
Nuvera Communications, Inc
$1,884,429

Kittson
Wikstrom Telephone Company
$3,066,630

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

Mower
Arvig
$3,129,412

Pipestone
Woodstock Telephone Company
$1,612,932

Polk
Garden Valley Telephone Company
$1,050,465

Stearns
Arvig
$910,537

Waseca
Bevcomm Inc
$4,385,444

Total: $19,729,816