Broadband

Plus: Walz appointed a Roseau County attorney to be the next Ninth District judge; a new study from the U of M School of Public Health found that access to obstetric care across the country has declined, hitting rural communities the hardest; the Superior National Forest will begin prescribed burns this week; and Paul Bunyan Communications says progress is on track for its broadband expansion projects in St. Louis and Itasca counties.

Cooperative Paul Bunyan Communications reported various projects are on track as construction season in Northern MN nears its end, including those in Coleraine and Bovey.

The state's Office of Broadband Development reported it can no longer honor $12 million in grants promised to local governments, organizations and small businesses.

The industry is frustrated with the federal body because of these requirements and the amount of time it’s taken to set up a program.

Paul Bunyan Communications' high-speed, fiber optic internet is coming to townships around Cook in 2026.

The Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program — what was once thought of as a solution to unequal access to the internet in Minnesota — could turn out to be a bust.

The grants will help internet companies get high-speed connectivity to rural homes and businesses.

When calculating who has access to proper broadband, the federal government counts much slower internet speeds compared to Minnesota’s definition. As a result, the cash may be enough to hit federal goals for universal broadband, but not state ones.

Applicants to ReConnect Program funding must serve a rural area that lacks access to service at speeds of 100 megabits per second download and 20 Mbps upload.

The Minnesota Department of Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation is a state agency located in Eveleth. The economic development agency reinvests local taconite production taxes into northeastern Minnesota businesses and communities.