Freeborn County
| Year | Rank | 100/20 Mbps |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | #36 of 87 | 89.55% |
| 2023 | #28 of 87 | 89.1% |
| 2022 | #29 of 87 | 86.36% |
| 2021 | #32 of 87 | 85.89% |
| 2020 | #27 of 87 | 84.51% |
| 2019 | #25 of 87 | 83.88% |
| 2018 | #71 of 87 | 34.18% |
| 2017 | #11 of 87 | 94.59% |
Red dots represent unserved locations.
Wired (wireline) and wireless (fixed, non-mobile) served location percentage at various speeds.
Freeborn County: Slow Progress
Freeborn County ranks 36 (down 8 places) for broadband access out of 87 counties. They have seen only very slight improvements over the years. Because of their 2024 MN broadband grant, they retain their yellow ranking with minimal increase in broadband.
- Over the years, Freeborn County (or cities within) has not invested in matches for any successful MN Broadband grants.
- Freeborn County will benefit from a 2024 $1,779,163 MN Broadband grant award that will serve 543 locations.
- Freeborn County will not benefit from any line extension awards.
- Last years’ estimates indicated that it would cost $12.6 million to get ubiquitous broadband in the county. (I haven’t updated the number because recent report offers scenarios of costs based on BEAD funding rules that make current estimates less predictable than in the past. Yet, I think the number is still helpful.)
- In 2022, Freeborn ranked 52 using Microsoft’s Digital Equity Tool, which looks at various factors of a community.
- They also had the unfortunate distinction from Recon Analytics to be named the unhappiest broadband county in the US.
Household Density
17.3
Number of Providers
22
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 – BEVCOMM Cannon Valley Telecom – Rural Freeborn Fiber-to-the-Premises Project – Grant award: $149,625
2016 – CANNON VALLEY TELECOM, INC. (DBA BEVCOMM) RURAL FREEBORN – GRANT: $150,700
2017 – BEVCOMM (Cannon Valley Telephone) – Freeborn Southwest Rural Final – GRANT $122,460
Freeborn is also getting almost $2 million in FCC funding but that is over the next 10 years.
Winnebago Cooperative Telecom Association – SE Faribault/W Freeborn County FTTP – GRANT $953,842 This last-mile fiber optic project will bring service to 319 unserved locations, including 289 homes, 16 businesses, 11 farms, and three community anchor institutions in the townships of Clark, Foster, Kiester, Seely, Alden, Carlston, Manchester, Mansfield, and Pickerel Lake located in Southeastern Faribault and Western Freeborn counties.
2022 – ReConnect program, will help connect over 6,000 people, 150 businesses, and 680 farms across Freeborn, Morrison, Stearns, Houston, and Todd counties.
2024:
- County: Faribault, Freeborn
Blue Earth Valley Telephone Company Faribault County Fiber Expansion Project – Final Phase
Grant: $1,779,163
Local Match: $5,337,488
Total Budget: $7,116,651
The Faribault County Fiber Expansion Project – Final Phase project will build an underground fiber network to serve the remaining unserved and underserved locations in Faribault county’s rural Wells and Blue Earth, offering speeds of up to a Gigabit symmetrically with unlimited data. This final phase, last mile project will impact a total of 543 addresses, of which 423 are unserved and 120 are underserved, and includes 205 homes, 59 businesses, and 279 farms. Faribault County EDA has pledged $5,000 toward this project.