Cook County
| Year | 100/20 Mbps | 1 Gbps |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #35 – 92.97% | #12 – 92.97% |
| 2024 | #33 – 91.61% | |
| 2023 | #26 – 90.36% | |
| 2022 | #22 – 90.95% | |
| 2021 | #16 – 94.5% | |
| 2020 | #14 – 94.5% | |
| 2019 | #13 – 94.5% | |
| 2018 | #10 – 94.5% | |
| 2017 | #12 – 94.46% |
Red dots represent unserved locations.
Cook County: stalled and not much help coming from BEAD
At the time of writing, the MN BEAD final proposal has not been approved, but the current proposal would mean coverage for 83 locations in Cook County. All of the locations will get satellite connections, 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. (Cook has not benefitted from earlier Line Extension awards. So maybe that’s a route to consider.) Statewide, there have been changes with local and national broadband providers, which also leads to uncertainty.
Cook County has been so close for so long but the proposed BEAD funding will not help Cook County reach the MN State speed goals, so I have to bump them to a Yellow status.
Household Density
3.1
Number of Providers
8
As of 2025 · Source: MN DEED
Households with Device Access
statewide
statewide
statewide
statewide
statewide
Has Worked with Blandin Foundation
Yes
See MIRC project matrix for more details on Cook County’s broadband adoption efforts https://blandinfoundation.org/content/uploads/vy/DC_Project_Matrix_Nov_2012.pdf
Has Received MN Grant(s)
Yes
2010: Cook County formed a partnership with Arrowhead Electric Cooperative, which applied for and was awarded over $16 million in federal stimulus grants and low interest loans to build a fiber-to-the-home broadband network throughout Cook County.
In addition, Cook County awarded Arrowhead Cooperative a $4 million grant from the 1% sales tax fund.