[ST. PAUL, MN] – Governor Tim Walz today announced $52 million in grants to expand broadband access to an estimated 7,700 homes and businesses throughout Minnesota.

"Investing in broadband infrastructure benefits businesses and communities across the state," said Governor Walz.  "By connecting thousands of Minnesotans to businesses, education, and health care through broadband, we're making Minnesota the best place to work, live, and do business."

Earlier this year, Governor Walz announced over $50 million to expand broadband access to an estimated 8,900 homes and businesses throughout Minnesota. In May 2023, Governor Walz signed legislation providing $100 million to the state's broadband grant funding program for the biennium.

"Broadband is an essential resource that gives Minnesota an economic competitive edge and provides more choices on where to work and live," said DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek. "It bolsters communities' efforts to not only promote business attraction and expansion, but also empowers existing businesses with the many benefits that high-speed service can provide."

The grant awards announced today will help broadband providers expand high-speed broadband service in 24 counties across Minnesota. The grants come from two DEED programs:

• $25 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.
• $27 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% of the total cost of a project.

To date, DEED has awarded over $400 million in Border-to-Border or Low Population Density grants, providing broadband access to nearly 120,000 homes and businesses. Communities and internet service providers contributed over $48 million in matching funds for this grant round and over $400 million for all grant rounds to date.

DEED will continue administering nearly $652 million in federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program funding from the Biden-Harris Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to expand broadband to the most unserved and underserved Minnesotans.

"Minnesota's impressive broadband infrastructure progress and ongoing efforts are largely due to strong partnerships. As we celebrate this 10-year milestone, I want to thank our state leaders for appropriating the funds needed to continue this essential work and applaud our county and community leaders who recognized broadband's value and provided the matching funds required to qualify for these state grants," said Office of Broadband Development Executive Director Bree Maki. "I also want to commend our state's broadband providers – from national names to small community co-ops and family-run businesses – who stepped forward to take on projects that are often challenging or located in the state's most remote regions."

List of Border-to-Border Grantees by County

Aitkin

Mille Lacs Energy Cooperative
$1,808,768

Carlton

Consolidated Telephone Company
$2,127,530

Faribault, Freeborn

Blue Earth Valley Telephone Company
$1,779,163

Fillmore

Ace Telephone Association
$2,567,200

Fillmore, Olmsted, Winona

MiEnergy Cooperative
$3,164,721

Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs

East Central Energy
$3,267,902

Kandiyohi

Meeker Cooperative Light & Power Association – Gennessee Township
$662,430

Meeker Cooperative Light & Power Association – Kandiyohi Township
$744,965

Mille Lacs

East Central Energy
$3,604,567

Morrison

Benton Cooperative Telephone Company
$1,248,430

Nobles

Lismore Cooperative Telephone Co
$208,598

Olmsted

Kasson & Mantorville Telephone Company
$515,564

St. Louis

Mediacom LLC – Lakewood Normanna
$145,000

Mediacom LLC – Lakewood South
$232,800

Stearns

Meeker Cooperative Light & Power Association
$542,077

Arvig
$708,790

Washington

Midco
$689,700

Wright

Meeker Cooperative Light & Power Association
$945,133

Total: $24,963,338

List of Low Population Density Grantees by County

Clearwater, Mahnomen

Garden Valley Telephone Company
$4,626,012

Le Sueur

Bevcomm Inc
$1,101,801

Martin

Federated Rural Electric Association
$8,008,419

Murray

Woodstock Telephone Company
$2,914,733

Otter Tail

Otter Tail Telcom
$3,700,198

St. Louis

Paul Bunyan Rural Telephone Cooperative
$3,924,157

Stearns

Runestone Telecom Association
$1,538,614

Waseca

Bevcomm Inc.
$1,186,050

Total: $26,999,984