ST. PAUL – State Rep. Jeff Dotseth, R-Silver Township, announced the state has awarded a $3.6 million grant to expand broadband internet service in currently unserved or underserved portions of Pine and Aitkin counties.
The grant has been issued by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development’s Office of Broadband Development. Officials indicate the funding will allow Savage Communications Inc. to deliver high-speed service to 1,069 Locations within the townships of Barry, Finlayson, Hinckley, Kettle River, Norman, Partridge, Pine Lake, Sturgeon Lake, and Wagner, and the city of Rutledge. DEED said SCI plans to offer initial Internet speeds of 1Gbps download and 1Gbps upload. Farms and businesses are in the project area, as are three township halls.
“It’s great to see more local sites that have lacked access to high-speed internet soon will receive upgraded service,” Dotseth said. “It’s imperative, in today’s electronic age, for residents and businesses in our area to have access to reliable high-speed internet so we can at least be on par with other parts of the state and the world instead of being at a disadvantage. Congratulations to everyone involved in submitting this winning grant application.”
The SCI company currently provides service to over 40 communities throughout East Central and Northern Minnesota. Pine County is contributing $75,000 toward the project, which is estimated to cost $7.3 million, DEED said.
This project is among 24 that will be funded with state general fund revenues and local matches through the recent Border-to-Border Broadband Development Grant Round 9. Broadband infrastructure will be expanded in areas of Minnesota that remain unserved or underserved. The Office of Broadband Development, DEED indicated, will work closely with grantees to ensure that households, businesses, farms and community institutions throughout the state have access to high-speed broadband services.
Minnesota’s Border-to-Border Broadband Grant Program has been funded with state general fund revenues and federal American Rescue Plan Act Capital Projects Funds. The 2023 Legislature appropriated $50 million each for fiscal years 2024 and ’25.
A complete list of the recent grant awards by project can be found by entering "broadband grants" in the search field at DEED's website https://mn.gov/deed.
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