Pipestone County
| Year | 100/20 Mbps | 1 Gbps |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #48 – 86.3% | #72 – 28.01% |
| 2024 | #45 – 86.43% | |
| 2023 | #35 – 86.35% | |
| 2022 | #42 – 80.7% | |
| 2021 | #43 – 80.11% | |
| 2020 | #38 – 79.73% | |
| 2019 | #35 – 79.73% | |
| 2018 | #22 – 79.73% | |
| 2017 | #51 – 44.54% |
Red dots represent unserved locations.
Pipestone County: stagnant at 85 percent
Pipestone County’s broadband coverage has been stagnant for a few years and their prospects for BEAD funding is not going to close the gap; so they have been bumped from Yellow to Red status.
They have been in a potentially precarious position because there is a discrepancy between wireline access and wireline with fixed wireless. Minnesota doesn’t currently take fixed wireless into consideration when defining areas eligible for grants; the federal government does include access to fixed wireless. That could make a big difference to who is eligible for BEAD funding.
At the time of writing, the MN BEAD final proposal has not been approved, but the current proposal would mean coverage for 63 locations in Pipestone County. All of the locations qualify for fiber. That being said, 63 locations isn’t a lot.
There is still Line Extension funding yet to be distributed, which helps connect handfuls of houses just beyond existing infrastructure. (Pipestone has not benefitted from earlier Line Extension awards. So that may be a strategy worth considering.) There have been changes with local and national broadband providers, which also leads to uncertainty.
Household Density
7.7
Number of Providers
12
As of 2025 · 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 – MVTV Wireless Middle Mile – Grant award: $808,080
2017 – Woodstock Telephone Company – Pipestone County Wireless – GRANT $363,851
2024:
- County: Pipestone
Woodstock Telephone Co
Woodstock Comm – Hatfield FTTH
Grant: $1,612,932
Local Match: $537,644
Total Budget: $2,150,576
Woodstock will build a fiber network to the Town of Hatfield, which is located in Pipestone County, MN. There are 116 total passings, consisting of 32 unserved households, 3 unserved businesses, and 47 unserved farms. This project comes in partnership with Pipestone County, splitting the remaining 25% match percentage 50/50 between the two parties. Additionally, the project will also service 24 underserved households predominately in the Town of Hatfield, 2 underserved businesses and 8 underserved farms. Woodstock has managed fiber networks for nearly 29 years and has been in business for more than 70 years. Pipestone County is also supporting the project by providing a matching grant of $268,822.