Cottonwood County

Rank: 66 (out of 87) for access to 100/20 megabits per second (Mbps)

Windom, the county seat of Cottonwood County, has had an enviable municipal broadband network since 2004. Folks in Windom are well served. But outside of Windom, connections are mixed.

Unfortunately, the county has been stuck since 2018 with minor updates. Although according to a report from the Institute for Local Self Reliance, has been using CARES funding to get more people online. And projected allocation of American Recovery Project ARP funds in Cottonwood is $2,171,395; broadband is one possible use.

Past grants:

• 2016 – WOODSTOCK TELEPHONE WESTBROOK – GRANT: $412,391
• 2015 – MVTV Wireless Middle Mile – Grant award: $808,080
• 2010 – ARRA funding for City of Windom – SWMBG will build FTTP (Fiber to the Premise) infrastructure to eight rural communities in Southwestern Minnesota.

Find more articles on broadband in Cottonwood County. (http://tinyurl.com/gnqcknv)

Maybe recent influx of funds or increased need due to COVID will spur more attention on broadband in Cottonwood, although most of the activity still seems to hover around Windom and that is why they get a red code.