Mower County
| Year | Rank | 100/20 Mbps |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | #44 of 87 | 86.44% |
| 2023 | #46 of 87 | 83.61% |
| 2022 | #37 of 87 | 83.25% |
| 2021 | #35 of 87 | 84.95% |
| 2020 | #41 of 87 | 79.03% |
| 2019 | #37 of 87 | 78.56% |
| 2018 | #79 of 87 | 23.31% |
| 2017 | #14 of 87 | 90.2% |
Red dots represent unserved locations.
Wired (wireline) and wireless (fixed, non-mobile) served location percentage at various speeds.
Mower County Incremental Improvement
Mower County ranks 44 (up two places) for broadband access out of 87 counties.
Mower County has had steady, incremental growth for a few years. They ran into a road block when LTD Broadband was awarded federal funding and then funding was revoked. They lost the funding but also lost time when they were unable to apply for grants because of LTD Broadband’s award.
Mower County has demonstrated an interest in engaging and investing in broadband so they maintain their yellow code. Also they have more than $3 million in grant funds coming in from MN broadband grants to help them get to green next year.
- Over the years, Mower County (or cities within) has not invested in matches for any successful MN Broadband grants. (But they recently (Nov 2024) approved an investment of $100,00 Spectrum’s broadband deployment in Austin.)
- Mower County will benefit from two 2024 MN Broadband grant award:
$3.1 million that will serve 225locations and
$414,699 that will serve 148 locations. - Mower County will not benefit from a line extension award.
- Last years’ estimates indicated that it would cost $22.8 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, Mower ranked 51 using Microsoft’s Digital Equity Tool, which looks at various factors of a community.
Household Density
21.0
Number of Providers
22
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
MN State Grant awarded in 2021: KMTelecom – Rock Dell Southwest Fiber Build – GRANT $404,709 This last mile project will serve approximately 96 unserved households, 70 farms and five unserved businesses in rural Vernon Township in Dodge County and Sargeant Township in Mower County.
2024:
- County: Mower
Arvig
Arvig – Mower Cty
Grant: $3,129,412
Local Match: $1,043,137
Total Budget: $4,172,549
Arvig has been providing competitive broadband services to Minnesota communities since 1998. This Border-to-Border project would improve services in portions of Rose Creek, Elkton, and Adams in rural Mower County. The project would bring broadband to 225 structures via an all fiber-to-the-home network. 164 of those structures are residential locations that are unserved. All these locations would be able to receive up to 10 Gbps download speeds and 1 Gbps upload. The total project cost would bring fiber-to-the-premises to all 225 structures. Mower County is contributing $584,156.92 towards the project. - County: Mower
Spectrum Mid-America, LLC
Spectrum-Mower County
Grant: $414,699
Local Match: $614,698
Total Budget: $1,029,397
Charter will construct a last-mile fiber-to-the-premises (“FTTP”) network to provide service to unserved and underserved households in Mower County, primarily Austin Township. The project will serve an estimated 148 unserved and underserved locations, including seven (7) businesses, 19 farms, a town hall, a nature center, and a senior living facility. Mower County is contributing $100,000 to the project.
Government Districts
U.S. Congress: CD 1
MN Senate: 23, 26
MN House: 23B, 26B