Goodhue County
| Year | 100/20 Mbps | 1 Gbps |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #72 – 79.15% | #30 – 71.51% |
| 2024 | #62 – 80.13% | |
| 2023 | #51 – 80.51% | |
| 2022 | #47 – 78.56% | |
| 2021 | #48 – 76.09% | |
| 2020 | #47 – 75.15% | |
| 2019 | #36 – 79.44% | |
| 2018 | #47 – 55.99% | |
| 2017 | #34 – 60.33% |
Red dots represent unserved locations.
Goodhue County: still holding onto haves and have-nots
Goodhue County’s broadband access has been stagnant for several years. Access has declined in the last year, although within an acceptable margin.
At the time of writing, the MN BEAD final proposal has not been approved, but the current proposal would mean coverage for 2,302 locations in Goodhue County. Some of the locations will get fiber but a 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. (Goodhue 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.
Stagnation and mixed expectations with BEAD disbursement keep Goodhue at a Red status.
Household Density
23.3
Number of Providers
20
As of 2025 · Source: MN DEED
Households with Device Access
statewide
statewide
statewide
statewide
statewide
Has Worked with Blandin Foundation
Yes
See Blandin Foundation’s matrix of community broadband adoption projects:
https://blandinfoundation.org/content/uploads/vy/BBC_2015-16_Project_Matrix.pdf
Has Received MN Grant(s)
Yes
2015 – New Ulm Telecom Goodhue Fiber Project – Grant award: $115,934
2016 – NEW ULM TELECOM, INC. GOODHUE-BELLECHESTER – GRANT: $ 332,328
2017 – Midco (Midcontinent Communications) – Wanamingo – GRANT $768,600
2017 – New Ulm Telecom, Inc. – White Rock Rural East FTTP – GRANT $411,704
BEVCOMM (Pine Island Telephone Company) – NE Pine Island Fiber Project Phase I – GRANT $222,222
Nuvera Communications, Inc. – Goodhue Welch FTTP – GRANT $340,790 This last mile project south of Welch will serve 100 unserved and 15 underserved locations in Goodhue County.
Nuvera Communications, Inc. – Goodhue West FTTP – GRANT $532,232 – This last mile project will serve 148 unserved and two underserved locations in Goodhue, Zumbrota, Minneola, and Belle Creek townships in Goodhue County and Chester Township in Wabasha County.
$3.2 million for Goodhue County to provide broadband coverage to multiple rural unserved and under-served areas.
2022 – $4 million grant Red Wing Ignite received to encourage broadband-based entrepreneurship and innovation.
2024:
- County: Goodhue
Nuvera Communications, Inc.
Nuvera White Rock
Grant: $1,884,429
Local Match: $628,143
Total Budget: $2,512,572
Nuvera’s White Rock Low Density project will bring fiber to rural areas West of White Rock MN in Goodhue County. The project is located in Goodhue County: Belle Creek, Cannon Falls, Leon, and Vasa Townships would be partially covered. There are 73 unserved households, 13 underserved households, 8 unserved businesses, 1 underserved business, 32 unserved farms & 9 underserved farms. Nuvera is headquartered in New Ulm, MN and has been providing communication solutions for both home and business for over 119 years. As of December 31, 2021, the company served 32,520 broadband connections and 17,216 access lines in the Minnesota communities of Bellechester, Courtland, Elko, Evan, Goodhue, Hanska, Hutchinson, Klossner, Litchfield, Mazeppa, New Market, New Ulm, Prior Lake, Redwood Falls, Sanborn, Savage, Searles, Sleepy Eye, Springfield, and White Rock, as well as the adjacent rural areas of Blue Earth, Brown, Goodhue, McLeod, Meeker, Nicollet, Redwood, Rice, Scott and Wabasha counties in south-central Minnesota. Goodhue County is contributing $277,733 toward the project.
Government Districts
U.S. Congress: CD 1
MN Senate: 19, 20, 58
MN House: 16A, 20A, 20B, 58B