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Dakota County

Table of goal data by year
Year 100/20 Mbps 1 Gbps
2025 #20 – 97.39% #52 – 53.24%
2024 #18 – 97.54%
2023 #15 – 97.17%
2022 #14 – 96.82%
2021 #11 – 97.75%
2020 #8 – 97.42%
2019 #7 – 97.56%
2018 #40 – 64.89%
2017 #32 – 64.18%
Coverage map graphic

Red dots represent unserved locations.

Dakota County: always getting closer

Dakota County has been hovering around 97-98 percentage coverage for several years. While the Dakota County broadband board was dissolved in January 2024, staff continue to work on broadband use and deployment.

At the time of writing, the MN BEAD final proposal has not been approved, but the current proposal would mean coverage for 928 locations in Dakota County. While some locations will get fiber, the majority of locations will get a satellite or 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. (Dakota 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.

Dakota County has been close to getting to the MN state broadband goal for years but because they are so close, they retain their Green status.

Household Density

220.9

Number of Providers

18

As of 2025 · Source: MN DEED

Households with Device Access

A Device 94.1% 95.5%
statewide
Desktop or Laptop 87.5% 83.2%
statewide
Smartphone 82.3% 90.1%
statewide
Tablet 66.0% 65.8%
statewide
Other 3.6% 2.3%
statewide

Has Worked with Blandin Foundation

No

Has Received MN Grant(s)

Yes

2020 – Charter Communications – Rosemount North Project – GRANT $499,072

2020 – Dakota County approved $800,000 in CARES Act funding for broadband.

Nuvera Communications, Inc. – Webster Rural FTTP – GRANT $431,260 This last mile project will serve 103 unserved and 178 underserved locations in Wheatland and Webster townships in Rice County, Eureka and Greenvale townships in Dakota County, and New Market and Cedar Lake townships in Scott County.

2022 – JTN Communications, $113,076.00

2022 – Spectrum Mid-America, LLC managed by Charter Communications Inc., $98,750.00

Government Districts

U.S. Congress: CD 2

MN Senate: 20, 41, 52, 53, 55, 56, 57, 58, 65

MN House: 20A, 41B, 52A, 52B, 53A, 53B, 55A, 55B, 56A, 57A, 57B, 58A, 58B, 65B

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