Douglas County
| Year | Rank | 100/20 Mbps |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | #57 of 87 | 77.58% |
| 2022 | #58 of 87 | 74.59% |
| 2021 | #59 of 87 | 72.89% |
| 2020 | #57 of 87 | 70% |
| 2019 | #56 of 87 | 68.82% |
| 2018 | #76 of 87 | 25.56% |
| 2017 | #80 of 87 | 7.68% |
Douglas County: Slow Improvement But Need More Engagement to Sprint
Douglas County ranks 57 (up one place) for broadband access out of 87 counties. Douglas has seen incremental gains up to 77.58 percent coverage to broadband of 100 Mbps down and 20 up. They have 4211 households without access to broadband at that speed. Estimates indicate that it will cost $39 million to get to ubiquitous broadband in the county.
Douglas County has historically done well with border to border grants because they have a few providers that are engaged. Last year Gardonville Coop got $1.2 million in Border to Border funding to serve 300 unserved households around Alexandria. Also Tekstar received $12.6 million in REConnect funds to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 3,113 people, 171 farms, 103 businesses and a school to high-speed internet in Douglas, Otter Tail, St. Louis, Stearns and Todd counties. In 2023, Gardonville received two more Border to Border grants: $665,950 to serve 122 households and $857,013 to serve 214 both near Alexandria.
The continue to make incremental progress but retain their yellow rank with one 77 percent coverage.
Household Density
26.1
Number of Providers
15
As of 2023 · Source: MN DEED
Households with Device Access
statewide
statewide
statewide
statewide
statewide
Has Worked with Blandin Foundation
No
Has Received MN Grant(s)
Yes
2015 – Runestone Telephone Association – Holmes City – Grant award: $189,990
2016 – GARDONVILLE COOPERATIVE TELEPHONE DOUGLAS COUNTY LAKE LOUISE – GRANT: $68,240
2016 – RUNESTONE TELEPHONE HOLMES CITY 2 — GRANT: $700,674
2017 – Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association – Douglas County: Country Estates FTTH Project – GRANT $101,624
2017 – Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association – Douglas County: Pospisil Drive FTTH Project – GRANT $54,155
2019 – Charter Communications – Lake Carlos Project – GRANT $74,540
2019 – Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association – Krohnfeldt Drive FTTH Project – GRANT $42,921
2019 – Runestone Telecom Association – South Alexandria Project – GRANT $1,760,423
Arvig (Tekstar Communications, Inc.) – Lake Osakis, Sauk Lake & Smith Lake Project – GRANT $486,458 This middle and last mile project will upgrade approximately 230 unserved and 39 underserved locations in Todd and Douglas counties.
Charter Communications (Spectrum) – West Lake Carlos – GRANT $24,450
This middle and last mile project will serve approximately 42 unserved households on the west side of Lake Carlos in Douglas County.
Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association – Douglas County – County Road 34 FTTH Project – GRANT $1,551,370 This last mile project will serve 71 unserved and 544 underserved locations in Ida and Carlos townships in Douglas County.
Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association – Douglas County – Hazel Hill Road FTTH Project – GRANT $692,929 This middle and last mile project will serve 212 unserved households, 79 unserved businesses and one unserved farm in Alexandria Township in Douglas County.
Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association – Douglas County – Town Hall Road FTTH Project – GRANT $90,251 This last mile project will serve 46 unserved and 3 underserved locations in La Grand Township in Douglas County
Gardonville Cooperative Telephone – Buckskin – GRANT $857,013
2022 – Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association, $1,212,337.50
2022 – ReConnect Tekstar Communications $12,602,274
2023 – Gardonville Cooperative Telephone – Carlos – GRANT $665,950
Government Districts
U.S. Congress: CD 7
MN Senate: 09, 12
MN House: 09B, 12B