Kandiyohi County
| Year | Rank | 100/20 Mbps |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | #61 of 87 | 80.43% |
| 2023 | #74 of 87 | 69.12% |
| 2022 | #69 of 87 | 68.18% |
| 2021 | #53 of 87 | 74.82% |
| 2020 | #49 of 87 | 73.78% |
| 2019 | #48 of 87 | 72.89% |
| 2018 | #86 of 87 | 10.64% |
| 2017 | #79 of 87 | 8.14% |
Red dots represent unserved locations.
Wired (wireline) and wireless (fixed, non-mobile) served location percentage at various speeds.
Kandiyohi County: Bumped Up to Yellow Ranking
Kandiyohi County’s rank has bumped up from 74 to 60 for broadband access out of 87 counties.
Led by the Kandiyohi County has been working on better broadband for years but it seems as if they were able to get traction with a couple of providers last year that is continuing based on grants awarded.
Kandiyohi is creating partnerships that should help them get better broadband, especially when federal (BEAD) funding becomes available. The county continues to plan for better broadband in the future.
- Over the years, Kandiyohi County (or cities within) has invested $3,144,780 (total) for matches for 3 successful MN Broadband grants. This is an indicator of local government that is engaged and (literally) invested in better, local broadband.
- Kandiyohi County will benefit from four 2024 MN Broadband grant:
$662,430 to serve 167 locations,
$744,965 to serve 188 locations,
$8,202,000 to serve 1,289 locations and
$590,709 to serve 124 locations. - Kandiyohi County will benefit from 35 line extension awards (Rounds 1 and 2), which extend broadband to individual locations.
- Last years’ estimates indicated that it would cost $19.5 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, Kandiyohi ranked 84th using Microsoft’s Digital Equity Tool, which looks at various factors of a community.
Household Density
20.4
Number of Providers
24
As of 2023 · Source: MN DEED
Households with Device Access
statewide
statewide
statewide
statewide
statewide
Has Worked with Blandin Foundation
Yes
Has Received MN Grant(s)
Yes
2015 – MVTV Wireless Middle Mile – Grant award: $808,080
2016 – FRONTIER KANDIYOHI INITIATIVE – GRANT: $1,015,275
2017 – Consolidated Telecommunications Co. (CTC) was awarded a $4.94 million grant to improve serves in New London, Spicer and Willmar, and Frontier was awarded a grant of $1.02 million to improve service in rural Kandiyohi County. Unfortunately, the CTC project did not work out.
2022 – Federated Telephone Cooperative, $4,913,505.50
2023 – Meeker Coop Light & Power – Lake Elizabeth-East Lake Lillian Townships – GRANT $1,428,066
2023 – Meeker Coop Light & Power – Harrison Township – GRANT $533,959
2024:
- County: Kandiyohi
Meeker Cooperative Light & Power Association Gennessee Township
Grant: $662,430
Local Match: $809,637
Total Budget: $1,472,067
The Meeker Cooperative Light & Power Association Gennessee Township project will provide fiber-to-the premise broadband access to rural sites in Gennessee Township in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota. This project will improve unserved/underserved levels of service up to 1 gigabit per second download and upload speeds resulting in more efficient and effective e-learning, telemedicine options and enhanced precision agriculture tools to 167 locations, including 120 unserved and 47 underserved addresses. Kandiyohi County has pledged $327,692 and Gennessee Township has pledged $71,200 towards this project. - County: Kandiyohi
Meeker Cooperative Light & Power Association 58 – Kandiyohi Township
Grant: $744,965
Local Match: $910,513
Total Budget: $1,655,478
The Meeker Cooperative Light & Power Association Kandiyohi Township project will provide fiber-to-the premise broadband access to rural sites in Kandiyohi Township in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota. This project will improve unserved/underserved levels of service up to 1 gigabit per second download and upload speeds resulting in more efficient and effective e-learning, telemedicine options and enhanced precision agriculture tools to 188 locations, including 136 unserved and 52 underserved addresses. Kandiyohi County has pledged $224,000 and Kandiyohi Township has pledged $71,600 towards this project. - County: Kandiyohi
Federated Telephone Cooperated
Federated Tel – W Kandiyohi
Grant: $8,202,000
Local Match: $8,202,000
Total Budget: $16,404,000
The Kandiyohi County Western FTTP Project is a buried Fiber to the Premise (FTTP) high-speed wireline broadband development project that will serve 1,289 locations in the five Kandiyohi County Townships of Colfax, Dovre, Lake Andrew, Norway Lake and St. Johns. Funding partners include Kandiyohi County ($2,423,575), Colfax Township ($483,600), Dovre Township ($11,700), Lake Andrew Township ($1,103,700), Norway Lake Township ($3,510) and St. Johns Township ($45,500). Of the total 1,289 locations that will be served, 458 are currently unserved (including at least 35 farms, 22 businesses, and 2 community anchor institutions) and 831 are underserved (including at least 23 farms, 27 business, and 2 community anchor institutions). At the completion of this project, all 1,289 locations will have access to service packages up to one (1) gigabit symmetrical speeds. Currently, FTC’s service area includes eight different Minnesota counties covering approximately 2,000 square miles with 2,800 miles of fiber. - County: Kandiyohi
Meeker Coop Light & Power Association
Meeker Fahlun
Grant: $590,709
Local Match: $590,710
Total Budget: $1,181,419
Meeker’s Fahlun project includes $333,587 of Kandiyohi County ($283,986.50) and Fahlun Township ($49,600) ARPA funds in order to provide fiber-to-the-premise broadband to 124 rural sites in Fahlun Township in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota. The project area includes several businesses and farms, as well as a township hall. Meeker has provided electrical power to its members since 1935 and satellite internet service since 2005. As VIBRANT Broadband, they launched fixed wireless and fiber to the home broadband services in July 2019. VIBRANT Broadband is currently installed in over 5100 locations in rural central Minnesota.