Cottonwood County
| Year | 100/20 Mbps | 1 Gbps |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #78 – 73.21% | #50 – 55.59% |
| 2024 | #77 – 68.46% | |
| 2023 | #76 – 67.15% | |
| 2022 | #72 – 67.02% | |
| 2021 | #66 – 67.2% | |
| 2020 | #63 – 66.67% | |
| 2019 | #59 – 66.67% | |
| 2018 | #38 – 66.34% | |
| 2017 | #73 – 19.24% |
Red dots represent unserved locations.
Cottonwood County: still stagnant
At the time of writing, the MN BEAD final proposal has not been approved, but the current proposal would mean coverage for 649 locations in Cottonwood County. The majority of locations will get fiber, just a few will get fixed wireless connection, 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. (Cottonwood has benefitted from earlier Line Extension awards. So that seems hopeful for them as well.) Statewide, there have been changes with local and national broadband providers, which also leads to uncertainty.
With little movement, Cottonwood retains their Red status.
Household Density
7.4
Number of Providers
17
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 Windom’s broadband adoption efforts https://blandinfoundation.org/content/uploads/vy/DC_Project_Matrix_Nov_2012.pdf
Has Received MN Grant(s)
Yes
2010 – ARRA funding for City of Windom – SWMBG will build FTTP (Fiber to the Premise) infrastructure to eight rural communities in Southwestern Minnesota.
2015 – MVTV Wireless Middle Mile – Grant award: $808,080
2016 – WOODSTOCK TELEPHONE WESTBROOK – GRANT: $412,391
2024:
- County: Brown, Cottonwood
Hanson Communications
Hanson – Comfrey FTTP
Grant: $395,138
Local Match: $592,711
Total Budget: $987,849
Hanson Communications will build and operate a Fiber to the Premises network to cover the unserved and underserved areas in Comfrey, MN. Hanson has identified this project as an area in need of better broadband as nearly 85% of the town is unserved according to the Minnesota definition of broadband service. There are 245 total fiber passings in the project including 161 unserved households, 47 unserved businesses, and 5 unserved community anchor institutions, including the school, the fire station, the City office, the post office and the community center. There are an additional 27 underserved households, and 5 businesses. Many of the people who work and live in Comfrey are connected to agriculture in some way, shape or form. Farmers, specifically, can achieve heightened efficiency and tap into new markets and resources by integrating broadband into their farming and livestock operations. The city of Comfrey has contributed $10,000 toward the project.