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Rice County

Table of goal data by year
Year Rank 100/20 Mbps
2023 #45 of 87 84.16%
2022 #32 of 87 85.23%
2021 #33 of 87 85.58%
2020 #31 of 87 82.95%
2019 #28 of 87 82.47%
2018 #74 of 87 32.63%
2017 #45 of 87 48.85%

Rice County: Dropped From Yellow to Red Ranking

Rice County ranks 45 (down 13 points) for broadband access out of 87 counties. They have 84.16 percent coverage to broadband of 100 Mbps down and 20 up. They have 3316 households without access to broadband at that speed. Estimates indicate that it will cost $30.8 million to get to ubiquitous broadband in the county.

Rice County had a great leap of broadband in 2019; they have been stagnant since. Northfield Wifi has submitted an application for the latest (open) round of Border to Border funding. They will learn the results in early 2024.

Because they have been stagnant for so long, Rice County has dropped from yellow to red ranking.

Household Density

40.6

Number of Providers

25

As of 2023 · Source: MN DEED

Households with Device Access

A Device 88.0% 95.5%
statewide
Desktop or Laptop 78.8% 83.2%
statewide
Smartphone 73.4% 90.1%
statewide
Tablet 57.2% 65.8%
statewide
Other 4.8% 2.3%
statewide

Has Worked with Blandin Foundation

No

Has Received MN Grant(s)

Yes

MN State Grants awarded in 2021: Nuvera Communications, Inc. – Webster Rural FTTP – GRANT $431,260 This last mile project will serve 103 unserved and 178 underserved locations in Wheatland and Webster townships in Rice County, Euraka and Greenvale townships in Dakota County, and New Market and Cedar Lake townships in Scott County.

BEVCOMM (Cannon Valley Telecom, Inc.) – Rural Morristown Fiber Expansion Project – GRANT $210,692 This last mile project will serve approximately 14 unserved and 94 underserved locations in portions of Rice, Waseca, and Steele counties.

Government Districts

U.S. Congress: CD 1, CD 2

MN Senate: 19, 22, 58

MN House: 19A, 22B, 58A, 58B

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